SEPTEMBER 2ND: The deal is official, the team announced via press release.
AUGUST 6TH: The Warriors and former Ohio State point guard Aaron Craft have agreed to terms on a one-year deal with a partial guarantee, agent Lance Young tells Diamond Leung of the Bay Area News Group. It’s almost assuredly a minimum-salary arrangement, since Golden State is limited to paying no more than that.
The news comes not long after a report that Warriors reserve guard Nemanja Nedovic suffered a stress fracture in his right foot, as Leung points out, suggesting that Craft is an insurance policy in case Nedovic isn’t healed in time for the season. Still, the partial guarantee represents an investment in Craft, and it at least ensures he won’t walk away empty-handed should he fail to make the opening-night roster.
Craft earned raves from Warriors coach Steve Kerr for his play in college, as Leung notes (on Twitter), in spite of never having averaged more than 10.0 points per game over the course of his four seasons with the Buckeyes. He put up 7.4 points in 22.0 minutes per contest last month during Las Vegas summer league play for the Warriors after going undrafted in June. The 22-year-old also joined the Sixers for the Orlando summer league, though he didn’t see nearly as much playing time.