Golden State Warriors Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Warriors Sign Andrew Bogut

March 6th, 2019 at 1:33pm CST by Luke Adams

1:33pm: The Warriors have officially signed Bogut, the team announced today in a press release.

11:18am: Andrew Bogut, who spent the 2018/19 season in Australia’s National Basketball League, has obtained the letter of clearance required to make the move from the NBL to the NBA, agent David Bauman tells Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). We had heard on Monday that Bogut intended to sign with the Warriors once he received clearance.

With the primary roadblock out of the way, Bogut will now work to officially finalize a one-year, minimum-salary contract with Golden State, Charania adds (via Twitter). The former No. 1 overall pick is expected to join the Warriors sometime during their four-game road trip next week, sources tell Mark Medina of The San Jose Mercury News. That trip begins in Houston next Wednesday (March 13) and concludes on March 19 in Minnesota.

According to Medina, Bogut also still has to work out logistical details related to his U.S. work visa. He’s mulling whether to have the visa shipped to the U.S. consulate in Sydney or to fly to America on a tourist visa before acquiring his work visa in Vancouver, Medina notes.

Once Bogut sorts out those details, he’ll fill the final open spot on the Warriors’ 15-man roster. As we detailed on Monday, it’s not clear whether that will be Golden State’s final roster move this season. The team had reportedly been considering the idea of adding a wing – perhaps Damion Lee – with that open roster spot, and will have until the last day of the regular season to make any further changes.

Bogut, 34, hasn’t appeared in an NBA game in more than a year, having played his last game for the Lakers on January 1, 2018. However, he was named the MVP and the Defensive Player of the Year in Australia’s NBL this season, making a case for an NBA roster spot by leading the league with 11.7 RPG and 2.7 BPG.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls 3/5/19

March 5th, 2019 at 8:42pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Here are Tuesday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

The Spurs have recalled Lonnie Walker from the Austin Spurs, per the team’s website. The No. 18 overall pick from this year’s draft has seen action in seven NBA games this season.
The Clippers are sending three players to their G League affiliate. Jerome Robinson, Sindarius Thornwell, and Johnathan Motley, who’s on a two-way deal, will go to to the Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario, per Los Angeles’ Twitter feed.
Tony Bradley is headed to the Salt Lake City Stars, as the Jazz announced on their Twitter feed. The assignment will be Bradley’s 11th of the season.
The Hornets have assigned Dwayne Bacon and Devonte’ Graham to the Greensboro Swarm, per the team’s Twitter feed.
The Warriors have recalled Jacob Evans from the Santa Cruz Warriors, according to the team’s website. The No. 28 overall selection from the 2018 draft has played in 23 games for Golden State this season.
The Grizzlies have assigned Jevon Carter to the Memphis Hustle, according to the team’s Twitter feed.

Warriors Notes: Bogut, Lee, Evans, Looney

March 4th, 2019 at 2:48pm CST by Luke Adams

Just a couple days after one report suggested that two-way player Damion Lee appeared to have the inside track on the Warriors’ final roster spot, word broke today that the club will instead fill that opening by bringing back veteran center Andrew Bogut, whose season in Australia is now over.

Anthony Slater of The Athletic explores that decision, explaining that Golden State sent a representative to watch Bogut in Australia in recent weeks. The club came away feeling as if he looked rejuvenated after a year removed from the NBA.

“[It] seems like he’s in a really good place,” one team source told The Athletic. “Physically and mentally. [The] shorter, less demanding season did wonders for him.”

Additionally, as Slater details, the Warriors stars who played with Bogut in previous seasons – including Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green – have remained on friendly terms with the 34-year-old. When they were approached about the idea of a reunion, they all gave the go-ahead, sources tell Slater.

While it remains to be seen if Bogut will be the perfect on-court fit for the Warriors, the team wanted a bigger-bodied, defensively-minded center, according to Slater, who notes that the Dubs lost a pair of those players – and a ton of postseason experience – when both David West and Zaza Pachulia left the club last summer.

Here’s more on the Warriors:

Although Bogut will fill that 15th roster spot for now, that doesn’t necessarily mean that the Warriors won’t make another roster move before the playoffs, Slater writes. Depending on how the rotation looks in the coming weeks, Lee – or another player – could still earn a place on the 15-man squad. “Everything is an option until the last day,” a team source said to Slater.
Mark Medina of The San Jose Mercury News echoes that sentiment, but notes (via Twitter) that the Warriors are unlikely to waive little-used rookie Jacob Evans to make room for anyone this season. Evans and injured big man Damian Jones are both under contract for 2019/20, and Golden State will want to avoid creating dead money on next year’s cap, says Slater.
Shams Charania of The Vertical provides an injury update on Kevon Looney, tweeting that an MRI revealed a pelvic strain. Looney will be considered day-to-day, with a return date dependent on his strengthening and rehab.
Klay Thompson is also day-to-day for the Warriors, as we detailed earlier today.

Klay Thompson Day-To-Day After Clean MRI

March 4th, 2019 at 11:28am CST by Luke Adams

The MRI conducted Sunday on Klay Thompson‘s injured right knee came back clean, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter links). According to Charania, the Warriors sharpshooter is expected to be considered day-to-day going forward, and his return will hinge on how quickly he regains a full range of motion in that knee.

Addressing his knee issue over the weekend, Thompson said he didn’t think the injury – suffered on Thursday vs. Orlando – was anything serious, adding that he considered the MRI a precaution. It appears the results of the test confirmed that view, though the Warriors will likely still be cautious with Thompson’s return, since they want him fully healthy for the postseason.

Alfonzo McKinnie, who started in Thompson’s place on Saturday, left that game with a hip injury. If both Thompson and McKinnie remain sidelined for Tuesday’s showdown vs. the Celtics, Damion Lee could be in line for a start and an increased role — he played 26 minutes off the bench in Saturday’s win over Philadelphia. After Tuesday, the Warriors don’t play again until Friday night, when they’ll host the Nuggets.

The Warriors have an open roster spot, but they won’t use that opening to add another wing, as Andrew Bogut is reportedly set to rejoin the club.

Warriors Plan To Sign Andrew Bogut

March 4th, 2019 at 10:32am CST by Luke Adams

10:32am: The Warriors plan to sign Bogut for the rest of the season once he receives clearance from the Sydney Kings, league sources tell Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports. That’s expected to happen within about 48 hours.

The Celtics were among the other teams with interest in Bogut, Haynes notes.

9:37am: The Warriors have emerged as the favorites to sign veteran center Andrew Bogut, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). According to Charania, Bogut’s representatives are working to get him clearance to sign in the NBA after he spent the season with Australia’s Sydney Kings.

Charania first reported on Sunday that Bogut was drawing interest from NBA teams, citing Golden State and Philadelphia as two clubs in the mix. While there are a handful of contenders that could use a big man like Bogut, the Warriors make a lot of sense — the former No. 1 overall pick previously spent four seasons with the Dubs from 2012-16, and the team currently has an open roster spot.

The Warriors had been hoping that an NBA center like Robin Lopez would shake free on the buyout market last month, but Bogut would be a pretty solid fallback option. He was named the MVP and the Defensive Player of the Year in Australia’s National Basketball League this season, as his 11.7 RPG and 2.7 BPG both led the league by a substantial margin.

If Bogut agrees to sign with Golden State, the team will be limited to offering the minimum salary. The Warriors already used their mid-level exception on DeMarcus Cousins, and the bi-annual exception isn’t available because they’re over the tax apron.

The exact value of a minimum salary deal for Bogut would depend on when he signs it. He’d be in line to earn a salary of $13,525 per day, with a cap hit of $8,546 per day for the club. The Dubs would also incur additional tax penalties based on the big man’s cap charge.

Free Agent Stock Watch 2019: Pacific Division

March 3rd, 2019 at 8:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Every week, Hoops Rumors takes a closer look at players who will be free agents or could become free agents next offseason. We examine if their stock is rising or falling due to performance and other factors. This week, we turn our attention to the Pacific Division:

D eMarcus Cousins, Warriors, 28, C (Up) – Signed to a one-year, $5.3MM deal in 2018
Everyone was curious to see how healthy Cousins would look after returning from the Achilles injury and whether he’d fit in with the star-laden Warriors. So far, so good. Other than getting a couple nights off on back-to-backs, Cousins hasn’t had any physical setbacks. He’s settling in as a third or fourth option in the attack, averaging 23.3 PPG over the last three games. He’s also given the Dubs a defensive presence in the middle. Cousins may not find a max deal this summer but he’ll get something close to it from one of the teams with ample cap space.

Garrett Temple, Clippers, 32, SG (Down) – Signed to a three-year, $24MM deal in 2016
The defensive specialist didn’t move the needle as a starter with the Grizzlies and he was dealt to the Clippers just before the trade deadline. Temple is the No. 5 option when he’s on the court but he hasn’t made the most of his limited opportunities, shooting 33.9% from deep after knocking down a career-high 39.2% of his long-distance shots last season in Sacramento. Temple’s age will work against him in the open market. Forget about an $8MM average in his next contract. He’ll be shopping for the veteran’s minimum this time around.

Rajon Rondo, Lakers, 33, PG (Down) – Signed to a one-year, $9MM deal in 2018
A strong argument can be made that Rondo’s decision to sign with the Lakers ruined the season for two franchises. With Rondo at the point, the Pelicans reached the second round of the Western Conference playoffs last season. They wanted him back but he jilted them to join Los Angeles. New Orleans’ season went sour, leading to Anthony Davis‘ trade demand. Rondo has been a poor fit with the Lakers and his PER is a well-below-average 11.7. He’s played heavy minutes during the Lakers’ recent slide, including a 1-for-10, four-assists, two-turnover stinker against Phoenix on Saturday.

Troy Daniels, Suns, 27, SG (Down) — Signed to a three-year, $10MM deal in 2016
Daniels is essentially a one-trick pony and he hasn’t been allowed to perform it as often as he did last season. Daniels, who is playing for his fifth team, has seen his minutes drop to an average of 13.3 per game under first-year coach Igor Kokoskov with quite a few DNPs mixed in. His 3-point shooting hasn’t suffered — his 40% average mirrors what he did last season when he appeared in 79 games and averaged 20.5 MPG. Daniels’ shooting ability should keep him in the league a few more years but he may have to settle for one-year deal or a partially guaranteed two-year contract this summer.

Alec Burks, Kings, 27, SG (Down)– Signed to a four-year, $42MM deal in 2015
Burks was better off playing regularly on a bad team than spot minutes on an improving club in the playoff hunt. Burks flourished with Cleveland after getting dealt by Utah early in the season. He posted averages of 11.6 PPG, 5.5 RPG and 2.9 APG in 28.8 MPG with the Cavs, who then shipped him to the West Coast in a three-team swap. Burks has done next to nothing with Sacramento, scoring 2.6 PPG in 12.1 MPG through seven games. Burks has only attempted five 3-pointers since the deal and missed all of them. Burks needs a strong finish to reestablish his value in unrestricted free agency.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Teams Interested In Andrew Bogut

March 3rd, 2019 at 10:08am CST by Arthur Hill

Veteran center Andrew Bogut is getting interest from “multiple contenders,” including the Warriors and Sixers, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Bogut is available now that his season has ended in Australia — he was named both MVP and Defensive Player of the Year in the NBL (National Basketball League).

Bogut isn’t expected to decide on an NBA deal right away, Charania adds. However, the 34-year-old will be playoff-eligible wherever he goes, since he hasn’t been on an NBA roster all season. He has been out of the league since the Lakers waived him in January of 2018.

Bogut was a second-team All-Defensive honoree in 2014/15 when he helped Golden State win the NBA title. The Warriors traded him after the 2016 season in a cap-clearing move to help them sign Kevin Durant.

Damion Lee In Position To Get Warriors’ Final Roster Spot

March 2nd, 2019 at 6:17pm CST by Arthur Hill

The buyout market didn’t offer the Warriors any help at Friday’s deadline, so it appears the 15th roster spot may be filled from within the organization, writes Mark Medina of The San Jose Mercury News. Damion Lee, who has been on a two-way contract all season, has the inside track on the final position, according to Medina.

“He would be someone given he has been with us all year,” coach Steve Kerr said. “We don’t have to make any decisions right now. Well wait and see how it all plays out.”

The Warriors could use veteran help at center and had been hoping Robin Lopez would reach a buyout deal with the Bulls. However, Chicago decided to hang on to Lopez as a veteran influence for its young roster. The only buyout that occurred yesterday involved San Antonio’s Pau Gasol, who will sign with the Bucks. Friday marked the final day that players currently on an NBA roster could be waived and still be playoff eligible with their new team.

The Warriors will be in no rush to fill their roster opening, although it’s virtually certain that someone will be added before the playoffs. Two-way players aren’t eligible for the postseason, so Golden State would have to convert Lee’s deal to a standard NBA contract by the end of the season, just as it did with Quinn Cook last year.

Lee still has 12 of the allotted 45 NBA days remaining on his two-way deal. He is expected to assume a larger role with the team starting tonight because Klay Thompson is awaiting an MRI on his sore right knee.

A 26-year-old shooting guard, Lee has appeared in 20 games for the Warriors, averaging 4.6 PPG in about 11 minutes per night. He played 15 games for the Hawks at the end of last season.

“I feel like I belong here,” Lee said. “The times I’m out there on the court, there’s nothing that’s challenging. The times that I’m not playing either, I see something and I’ll mention something to someone. I pride myself on having a high IQ and knowing the game.”

Klay Thompson To Undergo MRI On Knee

March 2nd, 2019 at 3:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Warriors shooting guard Klay Thompson will miss Saturday’s game against the Sixers due to right knee soreness and is scheduled to have an MRI on that knee on Sunday, as Nick Friedell of ESPN.com relays.

While Thompson will undergo an MRI to assess the injury, which he suffered during Thursday’s game against Orlando, he views the test as a precaution and doesn’t believe the issue will sideline him for an extended period.

“I’m sore, but I’ll be all right,” Thompson told Friedell. “I don’t think it’s anything serious, but it’s definitely better [we] take the right precautions for sure.”

Although Thompson’s injury doesn’t sound significant, it’s worth monitoring any health issue affecting one of the Warriors’ star players, since that may be the only thing that can derail them from claiming their third consecutive championship. If the Dubs do have to hold Thompson out of action for longer than anticipated, they have an open roster spot and could add some extra depth if it’s needed.

Thompson has only missed one other game this season — that contest, which took place on January 31, when Klay was battling an illness, was also against Philadelphia.

Durant Q&A; Bell Takes Some Of Looney's Minutes

March 1st, 2019 at 10:41pm CST by Luke Adams

Speaking to Kerith Burke of NBC Sports Bay Area, Warriors star Kevin Durant offered a couple interesting answers in a Q&A, suggesting that he won’t be thinking about his legacy when he makes his free agency decision this summer. He also indicated that he doesn’t feel the need to “build something” somewhere. “I don’t need anything in this basketball world to fulfill anything in me. The NBA is never going to fulfill me,” Durant said. “It’s going to make me feel good about all of the work that I’ve put in, but I think those days of me wanting to prove something to anybody or walk around with a huge chip on my shoulder is not my thing.”
While Kevon Looney is probably still the Warriors‘ more trusted option, he and Jordan Bell have been trending in opposite directions lately, with Bell taking some of Looney’s minutes, per Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Both players are eligible for free agency in 2019, so they’ll be looking to finish the season strong.