Golden State Warriors Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Oubre To Miss Play-In With Lingering Wrist Injury

May 16th, 2021 at 2:44pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Warriors forward Kelly Oubre Jr. will miss the next seven-to-10 days of on-court action as he continues to recover from a small avulsion fracture and ligament tear in his left wrist, the team announced today (via Twitter). The injury has kept him sidelined for the past nine games.

Golden State will re-assess Oubre’s wrist in the next seven-to-10 days, so there is a distinct possibility he would be available should the team advance to the first round of the playoffs.

As Kendra Andrews of NBC Sports Bay Area tweets, this update means Oubre will miss the team’s first play-in tournament appearance. Depending on the outcome of today’s season finale against the Grizzlies, the Warriors will either finish as the No. 8 or No. 9 seed in the Western Conference.

Both Golden State and Memphis sport identical 38-33 records at present — a win today for the Warriors would ensure they just need to win one of two play-in chances to make the playoffs, rather than two of two.

The 6’7″ Oubre was the team’s starting small forward for most of the season, starting in 50 of the 55 games in which he appeared. He will wrap up the 2020/21 regular season with averages of 15.4 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 1.3 APG, 1.0 SPG and 0.8 BPG across 30.7 MPG, with a shooting line of .439/.316/.695. He’ll be an unrestricted free agent this offseason.

Warriors Re-Sign Gary Payton II

May 16th, 2021 at 12:35pm CST by Luke Adams

MAY 16: The Warriors have officially announced Payton’s new contract ahead of today’s regular season finale.

MAY 13: The Warriors plan to bring back Gary Payton II on a new deal this weekend, sources tell Shams Charania and Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter links). Payton previously inked a pair of 10-day contracts with the team.

Payton, 28, got into 10 games for the Warriors during his 20 days with the organization. He only logged 40 total minutes in those 10 contests, but made the most of them, putting up 25 points on 10-of-13 shooting with 11 rebounds and six steals. Head coach Steve Kerr said at the time that the team wasn’t ruling out re-signing Payton before the end of the season.

“Gary played really well,” Kerr said in April. “He’s somebody who we feel like we’d love to have back. He’s got to consider his own options as well. So, we’ll see how it works out.”

Payton, the son of Hall-of-Famer Gary Payton, earned G League Defensive Player of the Year honors with the Raptors 905 earlier this year. He’ll provide depth in the backcourt for the Warriors as they prepare for the play-in tournament next week.

According to Slater (via Twitter), there’s an expectation that Payton’s new contract will extend beyond this season, though it’s unclear if any of next year’s money will be guaranteed. The terms are still being finalized, Slater adds.

Golden State currently just has 13 players on its standard 15-man roster, but is promoting two-way player Juan Toscano-Anderson to fill one of those spots — Payton would take the other, while Jordan Bell will be signed to a new two-way deal, giving the club a full 17-man squad.

Warriors Notes: Toscano-Anderson, Wiseman, Poole, Green

May 14th, 2021 at 6:47pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Juan Toscano-Anderson has signed a standard contract that includes a fully guaranteed minimum salary for next season and he’s extremely grateful, as he told Anthony Slater of The Athletic and other media members (Twitter link). The 6’6” Warriors swingman calls it a “life-changing contract, a life-changing signature” and vows to work even harder. “I get kind of paranoid in situations like this,” he said. “I am happy but the real work starts now. I don’t feel pressure but there’s more I need to do, I need to raise the bar.”

We have more on the Warriors:

James Wiseman had a spotty rookie season cut short by injury but coach Steve Kerr promises that the No. 2 pick of the draft won’t disappoint in the long run, Marcus White of NBC Sports Bay Area writes. “I have no doubt James is going to make a huge impact in this league,” Kerr said. “He’s gonna be a hell of a player, but it takes time and you can’t rush that process, unfortunately. It just has to happen on its own time, so he’ll get there, but we’ll just have to keep working with him. The good thing is he’s a great student, and he’s a hard worker and got a great approach. “
Jordan Poole has continued to be a key player during the second half of the season, Kendra Andrews of NBC Sports Bay Area notes. The former University of Michigan guard is averaging 13.6 PPG and 2.4 APG since the All-Star break. Poole is under contract for next season and the team holds a $3.9MM option for the 2022/23 campaign.
Draymond Green asserts his defensive impact goes far beyond stats, as he described to Sam Amick of The Athletic in a wide-ranging interview. “One thing I am certain of is that I can (mess) up an entire team’s offense,” he said. “And so, when you look at the impact that I have on the defensive side of the ball, it’s not always going to show up in blocked shots. It’s not always going to show up in steals. But I guarantee you it shows up in your favorite-player-who-I-may-be-playing-against’s mind.”

Warriors Promote Toscano-Anderson To 15-Man Roster, Sign Bell To Two-Way Deal

May 13th, 2021 at 3:38pm CST by Luke Adams

MAY 13, 3:38pm: Toscano-Anderson has officially signed his new contract with the Warriors, the team confirmed in a press release. Bell’s two-way deal is also official, according to a second release from the club.

MAY 13, 11:51am: Toscano-Anderson will receive a two-year contract that is worth more than the prorated minimum in 2020/21 and includes a fully guaranteed minimum salary for ’21/22, according to Charania and Slater (Twitter link). He’d then in be on track for restricted free agency in 2022.

With the Warriors set to complete their two roster moves, Bell is expected to be available for the team on Friday night, Slater adds (via Twitter).

MAY 7: The Warriors intend to promote two-way player Juan Toscano-Anderson to their 15-man roster and will sign big man Jordan Bell to a two-way contract to replace Toscano-Anderson, according to Shams Charania and Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link). The two moves will likely be completed next week.

The report doesn’t come as a real surprise. Having dipped to 13 players on standard contracts following the expiration of Gary Payton II‘s 10-day deal last week, Golden State has to add a 14th man by next Thursday. Slater had previously suggested this exact scenario, noting that Bell had been linked to the team and Toscano-Anderson has earned a promotion from his two-way deal based on his play this season.

Toscano-Anderson, 28, has emerged as a reliable rotation player for Golden State over the course of the 2020/21 campaign, averaging 5.4 PPG, 4.2 RPG, and 2.6 APG with an impressive .584 FG% and .408 3PT% in 48 games (19.9 MPG). His performance has been crucial for a team missing some players on the wing, including injured All-Star Klay Thompson.

According to Slater (via Twitter), the terms of Toscano-Anderson’s new contract are still being finalized, so it’s unclear how much money beyond this season will be guaranteed or how many years the deal will cover. Golden State still has a portion of its taxpayer mid-level exception left, which could be used to lock up JTA for up to three years (through 2022/23).

As for Bell, his familiarity with the Warriors and Steve Kerr‘s system will allow him to step in right away and potentially contribute in the play-in tournament and/or the postseason, adding some depth to the Warriors’ frontcourt. Since this is his fourth year in the NBA, it’s the last season in which he’s eligible to sign a two-way contract.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Lowe’s Latest: K. Williams, Payne, Monk, Burks, Hartenstein

May 12th, 2021 at 12:23pm CST by Luke Adams

For the 10th year in a row, ESPN’s Zach Lowe has named his end-of-season “Luke Walton All-Stars,” honoring overlooked rotation players and NBA journeymen who have impressed him most over the course of the year.

Nets guard Bruce Brown, Warriors forward Juan Toscano-Anderson, and Raptors teammates Yuta Watanabe and DeAndre’ Bembry are among the players who made Lowe’s list, which also includes a handful of interesting tidbits on some of his choices. Here are a few highlights:

Thunder forward Kenrich Williams, who resisted signing a two-way contract multiple times earlier in his career, has enjoyed a breakout year in Oklahoma City. Sources tell Lowe that several playoff teams expressed trade interest in Williams prior to March’s deadline, but he wanted to remain in OKC, where he’s under contract for two more years (both non-guaranteed).
Suns guard Cameron Payne told Lowe that he thought his NBA career might be over in 2020, when the Mavericks opted to sign Trey Burke over him for the summer restart after he had played well for Dallas’ G League affiliate. However, he got an opportunity shortly thereafter with Phoenix, in large part because head coach Monty Williams had gotten to know him during their time with the Thunder.
Another former first-round pick, Hornets guard Malik Monk, was concerned about his NBA career last year as well, following his suspension for violating the NBA’s drug policy, his brother Marcus Monk told Lowe. The former Kentucky standout has enjoyed a career year while trying to let go of tension about his role, Lowe writes. “Guys who have success in college think the NBA is going to go a certain way,” Marcus said. “You think you’re invincible. Malik fell victim to that. I’m proud of how he matured.”
Before he signed a one-year, $6MM contract with the Knicks last fall, Alec Burks discussed a deal with the Bulls, according to Lowe. Burks’ familiarity with Knicks assistant Johnnie Bryant from their time in Utah was a factor in his decision to choose New York.
After an underwhelming stint in Denver, Isaiah Hartenstein has played well for the Cavaliers, averaging 8.3 PPG and 6.0 RPG in 16 games (17.9 MPG). Lowe says he wouldn’t be surprised if Hartenstein turns down his minimum-salary player option for 2021/22 to seek a new deal.

Pacific Notes: Ibaka, Kuzma, Fox, Lee

May 10th, 2021 at 8:07pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Serge Ibaka has joined the Clippers on their road trip, leaving open the possibility he will play before the postseason, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN tweets. However, Ibaka won’t play against Toronto on Tuesday, Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times tweets. The veteran center, who holds a $9.72MM option on next season’s contract, hasn’t played since March 14 due to a back injury.

We have more from the Pacific Division:

Kyle Kuzma was held out of Sunday’s game due to lower back tightness, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports tweets. Kuzma, who signed a three-year, $39MM extension in December, shot 2-for-11 from the field on Friday in a loss to Portland. The Lakers forward is averaging 12.8 PPG.
Kings guard De’Aaron Fox would like to see the team’s front office exercise some patience, he told Howard Beck of Sports Illustrated. He’s weary of the constant tinkering of the roster. “If you’re not winning as a team, guys get traded, guys who were barely hanging on … get cut and are out the league and coaches get fired,” Fox said, while adding that the top teams have “players play together longer and develop chemistry, and coaches continue to grow and trust all their players.” Fox also spoke in the interview about his recent experience with COVID-19.
Warriors guard Damion Lee got up some shots on the court Monday for the first time since clearing the league’s health and safety protocols, Kendra Andrews of NBC Sports Bay Area tweets. Coach Steve Kerr said he’s unsure when Lee will return to game action. Lee contracted COVID-19 even after he had been fully vaccinated.

Lottery Races To Watch During Season’s Final Week

May 10th, 2021 at 2:18pm CST by Luke Adams

Although the races for the final playoff positions in the Eastern and Western Conference will generate more excitement during the last week of the NBA’s 2020/21 season, the jockeying for lottery positioning near the bottom of the league’s standings may ultimately be more meaningful in the long run. The seventh and eighth seeds rarely win a playoff series, but at least one or two teams generally land franchise-changing players in the draft lottery every year.

The lottery odds have been flattened and the format has been tweaked enough in recent years that finishing at or near the bottom of the NBA standings doesn’t necessarily guarantee a top spot in the draft. But teams can still improve their odds of landing a top pick based on where they finish in the standings.

With the help of our reverse standings tool, here are a few lottery situations and races to watch down the stretch:

The Rockets will clinch the lottery’s top spot

It’s not official yet, but the Rockets (16-52) will finish the season with the NBA’s worst record and the No. 1 spot in the lottery standings. They could formally secure that spot with a loss on Monday night in Portland.

Because the top three teams in the lottery standings will each have identical odds at the No. 1 pick (14.0%) and at a top-four pick (52.1%), it’s not necessarily a huge advantage to finish with the NBA’s worst record instead of the third-worst record. However, the Thunder will certainly appreciate the Rockets finishing dead last instead of third-last.

The Rockets will be forced to sent their pick to Oklahoma City in exchange for Miami’s first-rounder, but only if it falls outside of the top four. That means Houston will have a 52.1% chance to hang onto its pick and a 47.9% chance of sending it to the Thunder.

If the Rockets had finished third in the lottery standings, those odds wouldn’t change, but the pick could slip as far as sixth or seventh if multiple teams leapfrog Houston in the lottery. Because the Rockets will be No. 1 in the lottery standings, that pick can’t fall further than fifth overall — that would be the ideal outcome for Oklahoma City and there’s a 47.9% chance it will happen.

The Nos. 2 through 6 spots are up for grabs

The Pistons (20-49) currently rank second in the lottery standings, followed by the Thunder (21-48), then the Magic, Timberwolves, and Cavaliers (all 21-47).

The win column is the key number to watch here, since some of these clubs may not win another game during the season’s final week. So Detroit has a slight leg up on the second spot, but a single Pistons win could really create some chaos.

While all of these teams have fairly challenging remaining schedules, Detroit and Minnesota are the ones to watch. Their schedules are the easiest of the five, per Tankathon, largely because they’ll face one another in Detroit on Tuesday.

The Timberwolves, of course, are the one team in this group not particularly motivated to tank, since their pick will be sent to the Warriors if it’s not in the top three.

Here are the lottery odds these five teams will be looking at, based on their finishes:

#	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
2	14	13.4	12.7	12	27.8	20	–	–	–	–
3	14	13.4	12.7	12	14.8	26	7	–	–	–
4	12.5	12.2	11.9	11.5	7.2	25.7	16.7	2.2	–	–
5	10.5	10.5	10.6	10.5	2.2	19.6	26.7	8.7	0.6	–
6	9	9.2	9.4	9.6	–	8.6	29.8	20.6	3.7	0.1

When two teams finished with identical records, their lottery odds also become identical (or as close to it as possible). For instance, if two teams tie for No. 4 in the lottery standings, they’d both have an 11.5% chance at the No. 1 pick — the middle ground between 12.5% and 10.5%. The same rules apply in the event of a three-team tie.

In each of those instances, a random tiebreaker determines which team technically places higher in the lottery standings. That tiebreaker determines how far a team can fall in the draft order and sometimes gives a team an extra “ping-pong ball.”

For instance, if three teams finish tied for the No. 4 spot in the lottery standings, the team that wins the tiebreaker would have a 10.7% chance at the top pick and couldn’t fall further than No. 8. The club that loses the three-team tiebreaker would have a 10.6% chance at the No. 1 pick and could fall as far as No. 10.

Given how close this section of the lottery race is, it’s safe to assume we’ll see at least one tie in the end-of-season standings.

The Raptors are in the lead for the No. 7 spot

The Raptors (27-41) can’t move up higher than No. 7 in the lottery standings, but they’re in a good position to secure that spot, with a multi-game cushion on the Bulls (29-30), Kings (30-38), and Pelicans (31-37). Those three clubs have pushed harder for a spot in the play-in tournament than Toronto has.

Assuming the Raptors finish with the seventh-best odds, they’ll have a 7.5% chance at the No. 1 pick and a 31.9% chance to move into the top four. As for the Bulls, if they remain at No. 8, they’ll have a 6.0% chance at No. 1 and a 26.2% shot a top-four pick — those odds are especially important, since Chicago will send its pick to Orlando if it falls outside the top four.

Meanwhile, the 10 teams that miss out on play-in spots will be joined in the lottery by the four teams eliminated in the play-in games — even if one or more of those teams finished the regular season ranked seventh or eighth in the conference.

For instance, let’s say the season ended today, making the 38-30 Lakers the No. 7 seed in the West. In the unlikely event that they lost two consecutive play-in games, they’d move into the lottery standings at No. 14, whereas if they were to secure a postseason berth in the play-in tournament, their pick would land in the early 20s.

Los Angeles will keep its first-rounder if it falls in the 8-30 range, so if the Lakers end up in the play-in, New Orleans will be actively rooting against them — should the Lakers miss the playoffs, there’s a chance their pick could move into the top four via the lottery, in which case it’d be sent to the Pelicans.

Warriors Notes: Toscano-Anderson, Wiseman, Paschall, Wolves’ Pick

May 8th, 2021 at 10:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Juan Toscano-Anderson, who is expected to be promoted to the Warriors‘ 15-man roster next week after playing on a two-way contract all season, has impressed coach Steve Kerr with the way he plays the game, writes Marcus White of NBC Sports Bay Area. In a radio interview Friday, Kerr praised Toscano-Anderson for sticking to his NBA dream.

“Twenty-eight years old, he’s bounced around the entire world playing basketball, and I think our fans love him,” Kerr said. “I know we love him as a coaching staff. The guy just gets it. He plays with great energy, he’s smart, he’s tough. He’s improved his skill now as a passer and a shooter to a point where he’s really making a lot of plays out there for us.”

Toscano-Anderson has become a more efficient shooter from everywhere on the court in his second NBA season, White points out. He’s also part of Golden State’s lineup with the best net rating and best offensive rating.

“(When) a guy knows how to play and he can guard multiple spots, he can play in any combination, and that’s his real value to our team,” Kerr said. “He’s not dependent on a certain combination. In pretty much every case, he makes whatever combination he’s with better.”

There’s more on the Warriors:

Kerr said rookie center James Wiseman is in “great spirits” following meniscus surgery last month, White adds in a separate story. It’s not certain that Wiseman will be ready for the start of training camp, but Kerr said he plans to rehab at the team facility during the offseason. “James is a really willing athlete. Willing, patient. He wants to be here,” Kerr said. “He wants to get better however he can, so we’ll give him every opportunity to improve — both on the floor once he’s ready to get out there, but also obviously in the training room and in the weight room.”
The team isn’t sure if Eric Paschall will return before the end of the regular season, tweets Kendra Andrews of NBC Sports Bay Area. Recovering from a hip flexor strain, Paschall has been able to scrimmage but has barely practiced and is considered day to day.
This year probably presents the best chance for Golden State to earn maximum value from the Timberwolves‘ first-round pick, says Connor Letourneau of The San Francisco Chronicle. Minnesota’s selection is top-three protected in 2021 and unprotected in 2022, but the Wolves have shown signs of improvement and may not be among the league’s worst teams next season. Minnesota is tied for second in our current Reverse Standings, but could move “down” several spots with a strong finish. If the Wolves have the league’s second- or third-worst record, the Warriors will have nearly a 60% chance of seeing the pick convey this year.

Warriors Notes: Lee, Paschall, JTA, Bell, Kerr

May 7th, 2021 at 9:30am CST by Luke Adams

Warriors wing Damion Lee, who is now out of quarantine, told reporters on Thursday that he contracted COVID-19 and dealt with a number of severe symptoms, as Kendra Andrews of NBC Sports Bay Area details. Lee dealt with a bad case of the virus despite being fully vaccinated, which makes him a rare case, according to data compiled by the CDC.

“I felt like I was hit by two cars at once,” Lee said. “Every step I took, it hurt. There was pain, soreness, it felt like there was a weight on my chest for a couple of days. It was hard to breathe. Loss of appetite, and even still I don’t have my appetite all the way back. Even random headaches, brain fog where I’ll start a conversation and be in on the conversation and then five minutes in, I lose track of what I was talking about or just don’t want to talk anymore.”

Although he was able to return to the team this week, Lee isn’t ready to take the court yet, and with just over a week remaining in the regular season, it’s not clear whether or not he’ll return at all. Noting that the Warriors are likely to take a cautious approach with Lee, Anthony Slater of The Athletic believes the 28-year-old may have played his last game of 2020/21.

Here’s more on the Warriors:

Of the Warriors’ injured players, Eric Paschall is closest to a return, according to Slater, who say the second-year forward is ramping up his conditions and will likely make it back during Golden State’s current home stand.
The Warriors will have to add a 14th man to their roster by the middle of next week, and Slater expects Juan Toscano-Anderson to fill that spot, receiving a promotion from his two-way deal. That could open the door for Jordan Bell, whom the Warriors are reportedly eyeing, to take Toscano-Anderson’s spot on a two-way contract.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr spoke to Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic about the lessons he has learned during a challenging 2020/21 season. Golden State is 12-16 this season in “clutch” games (games within five points in the last five minutes), which is an area Kerr feels he can help improve. “Definitely some things that I can do better. Just little detail things,” he said. “What happens when you lose some close ones, you tend to think about every single decision you made. Obviously there’s a greater chance that one decision can make a difference in the game just because you have less margin for error. So less margin for error means I gotta be on my game.”
In case you missed it, Kelly Oubre will miss at least a week or two due to his wrist injury.

Oubre Doesn’t Need Surgery, Out 1-2 Weeks

May 6th, 2021 at 6:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Warriors forward Kelly Oubre Jr. will not need surgery on his ailing left wrist, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports tweets. He’s expected to miss one to two weeks of action, Haynes adds.

Oubre was diagnosed last week with a torn ligament in his left wrist and a fracture on the palm of his left hand. He injured the wrist twice this season while falling to the floor after dunks. One happened in practice and the other was in a game against the Wizards on April 9.

Golden State entered Thursday’s action in ninth place in the Western Conference. The timeline gives the Warriors some hope Oubre would be able to suit up for the play-in tournament.

Oubre is averaging 15.4 PPG and 6.0 RPG through 55 games after being acquired from Phoenix in a November trade.

The fact that surgery is not required should preserve Oubre’s value in unrestricted free agency this summer.