Bazemore explains why he signed with Warriors in free agency

Kent Bazemore went undrafted in 2012 out of Old Dominion, but ended up earning a roster spot with the Warriors.

He appeared in 61 games as a rookie, and carved out a bigger role during his second season. But Golden State in February 2014 traded him to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Steve Blake.

Bazemore in the summer of 2016 secured financial security, signing a four-year, $70 million contract with the Atlanta Hawks.

Less than two weeks ago, he returned to the Warriors on a veteran's minimum deal worth $2.3 million.

"When we talk about things coming back full circle -- coming off a really big contract in Atlanta, to sign for the minimum, it made me think, 'It's not about the money,' " Bazemore said during a Wednesday morning conference call. "You can't buy happiness.

"Being back here, I'm the happiest I've been in a very long time. You just can't beat that."

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Where else did the 31-year-old contemplate going?

"Free agency was ... somewhat stressful," he said. "Finishing the year in Sacramento -- I was really looking forward to going back actually. I really felt like I could take a really big leadership role there, rebuild the culture.

"Things didn't work out. They decided to go a different route."

Bazemore averaged 10.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.2 steals over 25 games with the Kings last season, while shooting 38.4 percent from beyond the arc.

The 6-foot-4 lefty revealed that the Milwaukee Bucks, Brooklyn Nets, LA Clippers and Lakers all reached out to him.

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"When Golden State came into the picture, I knew it would complicate things," he said. "The money wasn't any big differences anywhere. You look at what makes sense, quality of life. It's just not about me anymore. I have a family now -- two great kids, an amazing wife. You gotta think about everything.

"Coming back here -- any time I would think about it, I would daydream about it. Any time I mentioned Golden State, I would kind of get this warm feeling inside. I chose to follow that."

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