JULY 8, 10:12pm: The signing is official, the team’s PR department tweets.
JULY 2, 4:31pm: Free agent center Willie Cauley-Stein has decided to join the Warriors, according to Marcus Thompson of The Athletic (Twitter link). Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports confirms (via Twitter) that the two sides are in agreement on a deal.
Although Cauley-Stein opened the free agent period as a restricted free agent, he didn’t stay restricted for long — the Kings rescinded his qualifying offer in order to create the necessary cap room to sign their other targets, including Cory Joseph. As a result, Cauley-Stein is free to sign outright with any team.
The sixth overall pick in the 2015 draft, Cauley-Stein spent the first four years of his NBA career in Sacramento, though it became increasingly clear as the Kings were linked to free agent centers in recent weeks that he probably wasn’t part of the club’s plan going forward. The Kings ultimately struck deals with Dewayne Dedmon and Richaun Holmes to address the five spot.
Cauley-Stein will head to another Pacific team in the Warriors, which is a little surprising, given the lack of cap flexibility for Golden State. The team is expected to fill out its roster with mostly minimum-salary players after hard-capping itself at the tax apron by acquiring D’Angelo Russell via sign-and-trade. However, Cauley-Stein will get a salary slightly above the minimum, tweets ESPN’s Zach Lowe.
In 81 games (27.3 MPG) for the Kings in 2018/19, Cauley-Stein averaged 11.9 PPG, 8.4 RPG, and 2.4 APG. He’ll join a new-look Warriors roster that will no longer feature Kevin Durant and Andre Iguodala in 2019/20. In the wake of the team’s agreement with Cauley-Stein, it also seems increasingly unlikely that DeMarcus Cousins will return.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Good pick up for the warriors
Warriors aren’t quitting that’s for sure
As a Kings fan, I’m happy to see him go. He looked better this year compared to his earlier seasons, but still was taking minutes from Bagley/Giles who should be our front court of the future. WCS ceiling is a backup on a decent team IMO.
Curious to see how long he sticks around in Golden State.
Warriors front office are actual-geniuses, there’s no way no how they aren’t putting a contender on the floor next year.
If they are a playoff contender when Klay comes back, they’re going to be dangerous. Klay at the 3, Russell and curry in the backcourt, draymond and willie… that’s a terrific starting 5.
Is he making minimum wage or something?
minimum wage. lol
Maybe they can do something to get him to hit his ceiling. Get him to be good or great at at least 1 thing. He is way too inconsistent. Warriors got him at a good price.
Article says slightly above minimum. So centers will be Looney, Stein, and Damon Jones.
not a bad 3 centers if Jones can stay healthy
Damien. Not Damon. Damon Jones is the old heat PG
Fantastic signings by the Warriors to retain Looney and add Stein with their salary limitations. Now they need to pick up a couple of wing players
Bob Mf Meyers.
Needs to be in the HOF
He is going to flourish in that system, if Pachulia and McGee did Willy sure will.
Makes you wonder where cousins goes now
Maybe the lakers on a minimum deal. He has to prove he can be a great teammate… not pick up stupid and selfish fouls/technicals… add to a locker room, not diminish one with that attitude.
Cousins goes to China
Troll!!!
Wow that is cheap, what a great pick up!
GSW will get what they paid for. WCS runs well and is tall and can really decorate his look, that’s about it.
He’s pretty good at angry uncontested dunks too – don’t forget.
Don’t underestimate those. They can definitely wake up a lethargic team and a dead home crowd. There is a place for them, but dunks have been overrated quite a bit by ESPN and others.
Warriors are going to play with a vengeance this season after Durant disrespected them so hard. They are saying all the right things wishing Durant well but you know they are going to try and make him look dumb.
To be honest I don’t think things are nearly as hostel as the talking heads would like you to think. There always has to be a reason or some type of drama. KD had to facilitate the D’Angelo trade, if he was resentful or hated the Warriors he wouldn’t have helped them. I don’t think there is nearly the amount of drama that’s reported.
This take is weak. You have no proof of this except in the obnoxious toxic clickbait media. As @RenoChris said, Durant has to facilitate the sign and trade to help out the Warriors who would have had only a Taxpayer MLE and his trade exception to work with to try to reload this season. They had no avenue to get any top-tier free agent any time soon. Any logical assessment refutes any scorn or disrespect at play anywhere here.
Yeah, Durant is a pro. He just wanted to be in NY… that doesn’t mean there was a rift. The warriors are a first class organization with a great player’s coach. I don’t buy that… though I do think they are going to better than people expect.
@Reno and xtra, it’s not as if KD just wanted the Warriors to get better. The Nets did get a first from the Warriors. Nets could not care less about where Dlo goes so agreeing the sign and trade gets them a free first. KD agreeing to the trade might be solely dependent on him wanting the Nets to get a free first.
Durant got to play for 3 years with the Warriors’ recent 1st round picks…Evans, Jones, Looney. Looney took years to be effective. Jones? I guess we will see this year. Evans, who knows what the future holds but a big meh so far. I guess it’s possible that Durant agreed in order to net his new team an extra pick but he’s certainly not silly enough to think that it would be dragon’s loot he was facilitating getting for his new team, right? It seems unlikely to be his primary motivation.
The Warriors bet on themselves that they’d be able to get to the playoffs for the next few years and that the picks they gave up would be bench player worthy at best.
Yes, the first might not be high, but it’s free. It is the primary motivation for him to agree to a sign and trade instead of straight up sign with the Nets.
It’s too 20 protected. And converts to a 2nd in 2024 if nets don’t get it this year. Lol. What a score for the nets!
I feel bad for some vet min guys… league is wide open again no more free finals rides.
Bob mf meyers
Should have taken the Q/O while it was on the table.
Well I, for one, anxiously await the unveiling of this new-look Warrior makeover; cannot wait to see this WCS kid in action -looks like a solid big-man find that can handle a BB.
You could have wsted him disappoint the Kings for the past for years, no need to wait look up tape
lol and this muppet thought he was getting paid…signs with warriors for minimum…
Okay there mr specialfriedrice man. A very special thorough evaluation of talent you bring to the discussion – eh?