The Warriors are rumored to be working out several names to fill out their roster, including some familiar faces. Who should they add?
The Golden State Warriors currently only have 13 players under contract, but according to a recent Shams report, that might not be the case for much longer.
There is a lot to unpack here!
Like all teams that are successful for a long time, the Warriors have seen their depth fall off over the years. Right now, there are only six players who can be considered rock-solid, for-sure contributors: Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Kevon Looney, and Chris Paul.
After that, the Warriors are hoping that Gary Payton II can recapture his form from their most recent title year and that one or both of Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody pops in their third season, although that's far from guaranteed. Cory Joseph and Dario Saric round out the back end of the rotation. The Warriors' rookies seem unlikely to command minutes.
In other words, the Warriors have a lot of question marks. While none of the names that Shams mentions will be needle-movers, a few could be helpful innings-eaters during the regular season.
The Warriors may choose to sign zero, one, or two of these players; for teams with heavy luxury tax concerns, it's become en-vogue to carry just 14 players. These names also show how weak the remaining free agent class is; more than half of these players didn't play in the NBA last season!
That said, the Warriors won't need much return here. 14th men aren't going to change a team's championship odds, and that spot is often given to guys with a strong locker room presence and high energy. Let's dive in and see who might be the best fit.
Warriors free agent target: Dion Waiters
Ah, Dion. A homeless man's Dwyane Wade who thought he was a rich man's Michael Jordan.
Waiters hasn't played in the NBA since a tumultuous 2019-20 season with the Heat and Lakers. He experienced a panic attack on a team flight after eating a THC-infused gummy, which was the last straw in a long line of drink-slurping devices for Miami. The Heat traded him to Los Angeles, who barely used him en route to their bubble championship, and that was all she wrote for Waiters' career.
Waiters recently made news with an interview for Bleacher Report, where he took full responsibility for his immaturity:
"I told [Waiters' son], 'Bro, your dad is not [out of] the league because of talent. It was my attitude, my character, and not understanding that it's bigger than me…'
I was so irresponsible and immature. I let the Heat down. They were good to me. I did not handle it well at all."
The attitude adjustment is a great sign, but could Waiters realistically bring anything to the Warriors? After so long away, it seems unlikely.
At his peak, Waiters was a shot-hungry, low-efficiency gunner who didn't bring much else to the table besides volume scoring. And given the way Waiters has chafed at playing time and lack of shots in the past, leadership may be leery about adding him to the roster despite his recent public about-face.
Even for a Warriors team looking for a bench sparkplug, there are likely better options available than a past-his-prime vet who hasn't played a meaningful NBA game since COVID began.
Warriors free agent target: Tony Snell
Snell is famous for some mind-boggling anti-stats: he once recorded 28 minutes in a game and failed to register a single point, rebound, assist, block, or steal. He replicated that feat several more times throughout his career.
That's not telling the real story, though. At 6-foot-6, 215 pounds, a prime Snell was the prototypical 3-and-D wing role player. He brought exactly zero other things to the table, but that's okay! His job was to make 3s, and he has always done that supremely well, as his career 39 3-point percentage proves.
He was also the first player to record a 50/50/100 season, which he accomplished in the 2020-2021 season. He doesn't take a lot of shots, but he doesn't miss many, either.
Despite that efficiency, Snell will turn 32 this year and has never been as good on either end as teams hoped, which is why he was out of the league last season. Snell will do his job, but he'll never rise about that. Maybe that's enough for Golden State, but I'm skeptical.
Warriors free agent target: Kent Bazemore
Bazemore was also at home for the most recent 2022-23 season. He had a 10-year career as a productive role player and served not one but two separate stints with the Golden State Warriors.
Bazemore is a good-vibes locker room guy most famous for being part of Curry's Under Armor story:
"A tentative plan was put into motion: Demonstrate what UA could do for a star by proxy, lavish Bazemore with the kind of attention that would earn notice from Curry and other higher-profile players. Or, as Walton puts it, "They sent him a s— ton of gear…"
[S]ure enough, an ascendent teammate took notice of the Bazemore shoe deluge. "He was a rookie for us, and he got more gear and boxes in front of his locker every day than anybody else on the team," Curry says. The gear was ubiquitous around the Warriors' practice facility; even Golden State staff members were wearing free clothes from the Bazemore largesse.:
But Bazemore was more than just a pitchman. At his best, he was a prototypical 3-and-D role player. In his most recent year with Golden State, the 2020-21 season, he shot 41 percent from deep and averaged a steal per game.
But Bazemore is a bit undersized, and Gary Payton II has likely filled his defensive niche. His friendship and familiarity with the Warriors' players and staff will help his case, but only so much. I'd be surprised if Bazemore ended up back with the team.
Warriors free agent target: Juan Toscano-Anderson
Toscano-Anderson, or JTA, is another former Warrior hoping to boomerang back to San Francisco. The 30-year-old spent three seasons with Golden State from 2019-2022 and became a bit of a local favorite. His energetic play and passion for the game were vital parts of a Warriors team that could sometimes lose focus during a long regular season.
JTA is a lanky 6-foot-6, giving him the size to guard multiple positions. The 3-point shot comes and goes, but he's a solid positional rebounder with a surprisingly sharp passing eye (which, unfortunately, got him in trouble at times — Steve Kerr was constantly berating JTA about turnovers).
However, he had a terrible season with the Lakers and Utah last year, falling out of the rotation in both stops, and the defense can be inconsistent — he tries hard but has a tendency to foul.
Like Bazemore, JTA's familiarity with the Warriors' culture and system gives him a leg up. JTA's size also gives him a little more positional flexibility, which could help.
Although Toscano-Anderson isn't the sexiest name around, Golden State knows what they're getting in him. For a 14th man on the roster, they could do a lot worse.
Warriors free agent target: Trey Burke
Burke is an interesting name.
Like Waiters, the former Wolverine is a natural scorer who has struggled with efficiency at times in his career. Unlike Waiters, however, Burke has shown an ability to run a functional pick-and-roll and a willingness to pass to open teammates.
Burke played for the G-League's Stockton Kings last season and showed enough to get the Warriors workout. He shot 42 percent from 3 and averaged nearly 16 points and 4 assists over 29 games. If the shot is reliable, his outlook changes considerably.
With Steph, CP3, and Cory Joseph on the roster, the Warriors seem set at the point guard position. But if they feel the need for some injury insurance, Burke would be a fine selection.
Warriors free agent target: Harry Giles
People still whisper with awe about the Harry Giles high school experience. Unfortunately, that player is long gone. Giles hasn't played in the NBA since the 2020-21 season, and we don't have much tape of him as an effective NBA player.
Giles was projected to be a high-revving, rim-running center who could beast in transition and clean the glass with authority. He had eye-popping stats in high school on both ends. Unfortunately, devastating injuries have sapped his athleticism, and he never stayed healthy long enough to develop his feel for the game.
The Warriors will likely be looking closely to see just how much bounce and quick-twitch he has left. Unlike point guard, center is a definite position of need for Golden State. Looney is solid, but he's never been a 35-minute-per-night player. The team will likely try to limit Green's minutes there during the regular season, leaving Dario Saric as the lone other big.
There is at least a theoretical upside to the 25-year-old Giles, who would undoubtedly benefit from having actual game reps. As we learned with James Wiseman, though, Golden State doesn't have time for projects as they try to maximize what remains of Curry's prime. Giles will have to have one heck of a workout to convince Golden State to take a flyer on him.