Zaza Pachulia embraces opportunity with Warriors

Pachulia, fresh off a career season in Dallas, signed his one-year, $2.9 million contract with the Warriors on Tuesday.

When you’re talking about a team like the Golden State Warriors and you’re looking at the roster, that decision wasn’t that difficult to make.

Pachulia is also a fan favorite, receiving 14,000 more votes than Draymond Green did in last season’s All-Star fan balloting.

With the Mavericks, Pachulia averaged a career-high 9.4 rebounds per game to go with 8.6 points last season.

Perhaps more impressively, he was averaging a double-double heading into last season’s All-Star break, getting extended minutes as a 32-year-old in his 13th season.

Pachulia’s adaptability and willingness to play wherever and whenever is what has kept him in the league this long, he said.

Pachulia made $5.2 million last season in Dallas, and though he is taking a pay cut to join the Warriors, he said he knew it was the right move.

With months before training camp starts, Pachulia — a former restaurant owner — said he is looking forward to sampling the Bay Area’s culinary scene.