SEPTEMBER 25: Garuba’s two-way contract is now official, the Warriors announced on Monday (via Twitter).
SEPTEMBER 15: The Warriors have agreed to sign free agent center Usman Garuba to a two-way contract, sources tell Shams Charania and Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Golden State currently only has one player (Lester Quinones) on a two-way deal, leaving a pair of open slots, so no corresponding roster move will be necessary to create room for Garuba.
Garuba, 21, was the 23rd overall pick in the 2021 draft. He spent his first two years in the NBA with Houston, appearing in 99 total games for the Rockets and averaging 2.8 points and 3.9 rebounds in 12.2 minutes per night.
Garuba was included earlier this offseason in the five-team trade that landed Dillon Brooks in Houston. He was sent to the Hawks in that deal as a salary-matching piece, then was flipped to Oklahoma City as part of a trade package for Patty Mills. Oklahoma City subsequently waived him last month, making him an unrestricted free agent.
Garuba, who was born in Madrid and began his professional career with Real Madrid in 2017, represented Spain in the World Cup following his release from the Thunder, and reports last week indicated that a reunion with Real Madrid might be in the works. However, it seems the youngster will make every effort to try to stick in the NBA before seriously considering a return to his home country.
He’ll join a Warriors team that could use some additional frontcourt depth — outside of Kevon Looney and Draymond Green, there aren’t any centers on the roster, though forwards like Dario Saric and Trayce Jackson-Davis could perhaps handle the role in certain five-man lineups. The Dubs are said to be considering a handful of free agent big men, including Dwight Howard.
Garuba’s two-way deal will pay him $559,782 and will make him eligible to appear in up to 50 regular season contests. However, if the Warriors are carrying fewer than 15 players on standard contracts, they’ll only be able to use their two-way players for up to 90 combined games, as we explain in our glossary entry.
Good signing considering they lack center depth
He is not a center at all
Very interested to see Draymond work with him. He has some Draymond in him
What should have happened last year. New GM targeting bigger players for the warriors.
15 Regular roster spots
3 two-way Contracts
18 total players available
Yet, only 2 players as Tall as 6-9 ?
I’m in Favor of adding another Big Man.
The roster is already over-stocked with Smalls at the expense of Talls. I dont think our 3rd string Guards need Backups.
I think we can Invest one of these 18 available Roster spots on a Traditional Big Man to keep in Reserve behind Looney. One of these days Looney is going to be unavailable.
Length is just as fine as height. Draymond and Looney have wingspans well beyond 7 feet. I dont understand how many times it has to be said
Too much 2K, lol.
It was the warriors themselves that massively dispelled the notion you needed 7 footers to win. How can you be a warriors fan and not understand that height doesn’t account for wingspan or jumping ability? Even when this warriors dynasty has had a traditional center, they play very few minutes and certainly don’t play every game. That said, Dwight Howard filling the old Bogut/McGee role would be interesting to see. It’s a low cost gamble.
Don’t like it
Nobody cares
Perspective. 13 on roster. 2 on 2way. Thats a current total of 15. Pleeeeaase, 3 more added, even if all three are 7 footers, will not see much time ahead of the 15. As I posted, having 3 more nba players to give them 18 options would be great. I’d like to see that. But, please be realistic some of you. I’d like to see Howard, JTA and Queta added. 2 rostered and queta 2way. But I’m not pretending those additions would be impacted. And Arc? You offer ZERO validity by continuing to childishly spell Myers Meyers. It’s clownish
No wonder he is trying to stick in the NBA: should he return to Europe now, he wouldn’t be eligible for a pension, as he has been in the league only for two years. Being on a two-way, he needs to stay on the roster till Feb 2 or to be active for at least 50% of the Warriors games to meet the requirements.
Great pickup. People complain about size but the dubs can have size without having 7fters. I’m fairly certain Kerr just prefers having the center position filled by someone in the 6’7-6’9/220-245lb range. Someone who’s big enough to play vs real bigs and overpower smaller players, yet athletic enough to not be a liability on defense.
Kerr’s Center traits are: plus rebounding, plus defense, plus passing, and defensive switchability. Gotta have 3/4 for Kerr to play you.
I remember people thought wiseman was the missing link, but honestly JaVale McGee is the closest thing to a Wiseman Kerr’s ever had, and he used him sparingly in spurts.
No, the prototypical Kerr center is a guy like Pascal Siakam, Scottie Barnes, Giannis, Adebayo, Franz Wagner, etc.
if Kerr could magically summon a center, it’d be a 6’9 Draymond Green.
There’s a reason they won in 2021. They didn’t have anyone taller than 6’9. Having several 6’7-6’9 is just as physically beneficial as one athletic 7fter, if not better.
Why sign this guy when you have TJD? Sign a center. Howard and Queta would be perfect. Kerr inherited a good team. I bet he would play Earl Boykins at C
Kerr needs as many switchable 6’8 guys as possible, those are the guys that lead to championships. I’m recent years, they’ve had seasons where Wigs, Oubre, and Looney were the only guys taller than 6’6, and it’s just physically draining for 6’6 and smaller guys to bump with real bigs all season. However, it’s a tad easier for someone 6’8, and those 6’8 guys keep the smaller guys from getting completely gassed on bigs, so they’re more effective when they do guard big men.
Garuba can be Draymond on defense and Looney on offense, and that’s a valuable player for Golden State.
At 21, he’s young enough and has enough potential to where he would’ve been a late 1st round pick had he been in the 2023 draft, so the fact he’s got 100 NBA games under his belt makes him more valuable for GSW than anywhere else.
This is a lotto ticket the Dubs can hopefully capitalize on. He’s a more athletic JaMychal Green without the outside shot and I’m certain he’ll apply more effort in a reserve role than JGreen did for GSW last year.
All the lob benefits playing with CP3 is supposed have on Kuminga should also apply to Garuba, which nullifies his lack of offensive depth as long as he can hustle.
I was hoping for them to pickup Bismarck Biyombo, but I’m pretty sure if they’re patient with Garuba they’ll have a Biyombo of their own in time.
All the benefits scouts pinpointed in Garuba 2yrs ago still apply today. And while he’s 21 and not 19, that is a plus for the Dubs as it’s obvious this team doesn’t want or need more raw 19yo’s, however it doesn’t hurt to add someone the same age/developmental path as Kuminga and Moody.
This can also take pressure off of Trayce Jackson Davis, who, at 6’9/230 is more polished but not as athletic as Garuba, which is why GSW made the move. Garuba should be able to give 6’6 guys as much trouble as he gives 6’10 guys, and that’s the kind of switchable defense Kerr requires in his bigs, but it’s hard to do at 6’10+. The last thing Kerr wants to see is a 7fter on skates after the opposition’s PG starts a pick n roll.
Easiest play/most common action in basketball is to have your big man set a screen for your quick guard and make the defenders switch. A quick guard can capitalize on slow/clumsy bigs and a big can use size to overpower smaller guards. That switch is used every game, and the only way to not give the opponent an advantage is by having a big that can switch. Garuba brings that to the table.
Great pickup on a 2-way.
Should of signed Queta
Donovan Williams, Yuri Collins and Queta are who they should have one two ways.
On
I don’t get people’s obsession with the Warriors signing a 7 footer. Last season, the Warriors were 8th in rebounding. The Nuggets, with Jokic, were 19th. The Heat, with two 7 footers, were 26th in rebounding. The Warriors biggest issue last season was turnovers. They were last. This is a team that thrives on ball movement.