Golden State Warriors Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pacific Notes: Mann, Little, Jones, Green

October 21st, 2023 at 9:24am CST by Tristan Tucker

Clippers forward Terance Mann earned the fifth spot in L.A.’s starting rotation, impressing with his versatility and ability to guard multiple positions, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN writes. Mann joins Russell Westbrook, Paul George, Kawhi Leonard and Ivica Zubac in the starting five.

Even though the Clippers held a training camp battle for that starting forward spot, their valuation of the fifth-year guard/forward has been sky-high all summer. As noted by Youngmisuk, the Clippers and Sixers continue to hold trade talks surrounding James Harden, but the hold-up between the two teams has long been the potential inclusion of Mann.

Mann said that being involved in speculation all summer was taxing at first, but his veteran teammates helped him learn to shut down the outside noise, according to Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times. Being wanted by two teams isn’t all that surprising to Mann, who went from being a second-round pick to a rotation staple, Greif writes.

“[It’s] flattering, but it’s what I worked for,” Mann said. “I’m in the gym every day to make myself better, to make myself a piece in this league that people want and that’s what I strive to just be. I’m not surprised by it.”

Mann’s teammates and coaches are all high on his ability to contribute to winning basketball and the Clippers see keeping Mann and adding Harden as their best route to a championship, Greif writes.

We have more from the Pacific Division:

After developing into a rotation player over the past four seasons with the Trail Blazers, new Suns forward Nassir Little is acclimating to a new environment. “Just getting accustomed to everything in the organization,” Little said, via Duane Rankin of the The Arizona Republic (Twitter link). “As the preseason went on, I got more and more comfortable and I feel like I’m in a good spot right now.” Little holds career averages of 6.0 points and 3.2 rebounds after being selected with the No. 25 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft.
Kings rookie guard Colby Jones came off the bench in the team’s Thursday preseason finale and posted 19 points in a 116-113 victory over the Jazz. According to Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee, the Kings felt they were getting a first-round talent in Jones when they picked him No. 32 overall in the 2023 draft. Now, he has a shot at seeing real action soon at the NBA level “We have a lot of guys we can play,” head coach Mike Brown said. “The neat thing about that is the competition, the real competition. If you’re not getting it done, obviously, there’s somebody else who can come take your spot, and that’s not a threat at all. That’s just what my job is. My job is to put the best five out on the floor based on that situation whenever I can, and if Colby keeps doing what he’s doing, it’s going to be hard to keep him on that bench.“
After spraining his ankle ahead of training camp, Warriors forward Draymond Green missed all of Golden State’s preseason action. However, ESPN’s Kendra Andrews (Twitter link) reports Green is ramping up his on-court work, participating in 3-on-3 action on Friday for the first time since the injury. Andrews adds that head coach Steve Kerr said Green did well, but there’s more work to be done before he takes the court, including participating in 5-on-5 settings. The Warriors open the regular season on October 24 against the Suns.

Warriors Waive Rudy Gay, Rodney McGruder

October 21st, 2023 at 6:12am CST by Luke Adams

The Warriors have officially waived forward Rudy Gay and swingman Rodney McGruder, the team announced following the conclusion of Friday’s preseason finale (Twitter press release).

Shams Charania and Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link), who first reported the cuts, say that Golden State will open the season with just 13 players on standard contracts for added roster and financial flexibility, and will plan to add a 14th man within the first two weeks of the season. That player will likely be signed to a non-guaranteed contract.

Under the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, a team is permitted to carry fewer than 14 players on standard contracts for up to two weeks and up to 28 total days in a given season. That means if the Warriors don’t fill that 14th roster spot until two weeks into the season, they’d only be permitted to dip to 13 players again for up to 14 more days for the rest of the season.

Gay and McGruder, both NBA veterans, were believed to fighting for a single roster spot, but neither player earned significant playing time during the preseason. Gay registered four points and seven rebounds in 15 total minutes across two contests, while McGruder appeared in just one game, putting up eight points and five rebounds in 20 minutes.

Given that the Warriors will need to sign a 14th man soon, they could circle back to Gay, McGruder, or Javonte Green, who was also waived this week. If the team isn’t enamored of any of those vets, it could look elsewhere on the free agent market. Promoting a two-way player to a standard contract and then signing a new two-way player would be another option.

Gay and McGruder will clear waivers on Monday, assuming they go unclaimed.

Pacific Notes: Mann, Hyland, Gordon, Wainright

October 20th, 2023 at 1:38pm CST by Luke Adams

Asked on Thursday about the trade rumors surrounding Terance Mann, Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue indicated that he doesn’t want to see the guard go anywhere and expressed confidence that he’ll stay put.

“We love T-Mann, and T-Mann is gonna be here,” Lue said (Twitter link via Joey Linn of SI.com). “So we’re not worried about what they’re saying outside, all the speculations. It’s a good thing to be wanted.”

Of course, the decision on Mann’s future won’t ultimately be made by Lue, but the Clippers have reportedly resisted including him in any offer for James Harden for months.

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

Bones Hyland‘s big night against his former team came to an abrupt end on Thursday when the Clippers guard sprained his left ankle in the third quarter vs. Denver. However, Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times hears that there’s some “initial optimism” that the injury may not force Hyland – who had scored 25 points in 24 minutes – to miss any regular season games. He’ll be reevaluated in a few days, the Clippers announced today.
Speaking to Mark Medina of Sportskeeda, veteran guard Eric Gordon named the Rockets, Warriors, and Bucks as some of the other options he had in free agency before he chose to sign with the Suns. “I felt Phoenix was onto something special,” Gordon said. “It was a tough decision, but I really think we have everything going on here from ownership, to coaches and to players. It’s hard to beat.”
The Suns are hoping that their release of Ish Wainright is “more of a logistical thing” rather than the end of their relationship with him, according to head coach Frank Vogel. As Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic observes, Phoenix has a two-way slot open and Wainright would be eligible to sign a two-way deal with the club if he clears waivers.
Within their season preview for the Pacific Division, Jovan Buha, Law Murray, and Anthony Slater of The Athletic agree that the best move of the offseason by a Pacific team was the Suns‘ trade for Bradley Beal. The Athletic’s trio cites Phoenix’s trade of Deandre Ayton, the Warriors‘ acquisition of Chris Paul, and the Clippers‘ unwillingness to increase their trade offer for Harden as the moves with the biggest potential to backfire.

Andre Iguodala Confirms Decision To Retire

October 20th, 2023 at 8:48am CST by Luke Adams

Longtime NBA guard/forward Andre Iguodala has confirmed that he intends to retire as a player, telling Michael de la Merced of DealBook in The New York Times that he’ll focus going forward on his work as a start-up investor.

When Iguodala announced last September that he was re-signing with the Warriors, he indicated it would be his last season. However, following the conclusion of the 2022/23 campaign, he didn’t officially confirm that he still planned to hang up his sneakers and remained noncommittal this offseason about his next steps.

Speaking to DealBook, Iguodala said it has been “a blessing” to play in the NBA as long as he has (19 years) and admitted that he’s not sure if the decision to retire has “actually hit me yet.” According to de la Merced, the 39-year-old is directing his attention now to Mosaic, the $200MM venture capital fund that he’ll run with business partner Rudy Cline-Thomas.

Iguodala is also interested in owning an NBA franchise someday and currently has stakes in a pair of soccer teams – Leeds United (EFL) and Bay Area FC (NWSL) – as well as the San Francisco branch of the TGL, a golf league created by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy.

The ninth overall pick in the 2004 draft, Iguodala spent his first eight seasons with the Sixers, earning an All-Star nod during his final year in Philadelphia and recording the highest scoring averages of his career during that time (including 19.9 points per contest in 2007/08).

After being traded from the 76ers to the Nuggets and playing for one year in Denver, Iguodala headed to Golden State, where he spent eight of his final 10 years in the league, with two separate Warriors stints sandwiching a two-season run in Miami (2019-21). He won championships with the Warriors in 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2022 and earned NBA Finals MVP honors in ’15.

For his career, Iguodala averaged 11.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.4 steals in 32.1 minutes per game across 1,231 regular season appearances and played in another 177 postseason games. The former Arizona Wildcat also made the All-Defensive first team in 2014 and the second team in 2011.

Warriors Waive Javonte Green

October 19th, 2023 at 4:27pm CST by Rory Maher

The Warriors have waived Javonte Green, the team announced on Thursday (via Twitter).

Green, 30, has spent the past four seasons playing for Boston and Chicago. The 6’4″ guard/forward was limited to 32 games in 2022/23 due to a lingering right knee problem.

A strong athlete and defender who is limited offensively, Green holds career averages of 5.1 PPG and 2.8 RPG on .534/.342/.753 shooting in 186 regular season contests (15.8 MPG).

While it was previously reported that Green was expected to be waived and play for the Santa Cruz Warriors, Golden State’s NBA G League affiliate, we later learned that he had signed an Exhibit 9 contract, not an Exhibit 10 deal. That means he may not be headed to Santa Cruz after all, and it’s unclear what’s next for the former Radford Highlander, who played four seasons in Europe from 2015-19 after going undrafted.

Warriors Cut Yuri Collins

October 18th, 2023 at 1:44pm CST by Luke Adams

The Warriors have placed guard Yuri Collins on waivers two days after signing him, the team announced today (via Twitter).

A 6’0″ point guard who went undrafted in June out of Saint Louis, Collins averaged 11.2 points, 10.1 assists, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.3 steals with a .442/.319/.735 shooting line in 32 games (35.1 MPG) as a senior in 2022/23. An All-Atlantic 10 First Team member each of the past two seasons, he also suited up for the Warriors in Summer League action.

Collins signed an Exhibit 10 contract with Golden State for G League purposes — his deal didn’t even include Exhibit 9 language protecting the Warriors in the event of an injury, an indication that the team never planned to have him suit up for a game.

The plan will be for Collins to report to the Santa Cruz Warriors, Golden State’s G League affiliate, when training camps begin later this month. Assuming he spends at least 60 days with Santa Cruz, he’ll receive a $25K bonus on top of his NBAGL salary.

Javonte Green Signed Exhibit 9 Contraact

October 18th, 2023 at 9:08am CST by Luke Adams

The non-guaranteed contract that swingman Javonte Green signed with the Warriors includes Exhibit 9 language, but not an Exhibit 10 clause, Hoops Rumors has learned. Green is one of three veterans on the roster – along with Rudy Gay and Rodney McGruder – whose camp contract isn’t an Exhibit 10 deal. That means those vets may not be candidates to join the Santa Cruz Warriors in the G League if they don’t make Golden State’s regular season roster.

Draymond Green Showing Progress From Ankle Injury

October 17th, 2023 at 10:49pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Warriors forward Draymond Green, who suffered an ankle sprain in an offseason workout, is making good progress, according to the team’s PR department (Twitter link). Green has been cleared to do light on-court workouts (shooting drills, etc.) and his return to full practices and scrimmages will depend on his continued progress. He’ll be reevaluated again on Sunday.

Warriors Sign Javonte Green, Yuri Collins; Waive Three Players

October 16th, 2023 at 5:10pm CST by Rory Maher

5:10pm: The Warriors have officially signed Green and Collins, per the team (Twitter link).

12:37pm: The Warriors plan to sign free agents Javonte Green and Yuri Collins, sources tell Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link).

To create roster space, Golden State waived Donovan Williams, Javan Johnson and Kendric Davis, according to Slater. All three players were on non-guaranteed training camp deals. The Warriors confirmed (via Twitter) that Williams, Johnson and Davis have been released.

Slater says the plan is for Green and Collins to be waived as well, with all five players expected to play for the Warriors’ NBA G League affiliate in Santa Cruz. While the terms of the deals were not disclosed, Slater’s reporting strongly suggests that Green and Collins will be signing Exhibit 10 contracts, which would entitle both players to a bonus worth up to $75K if they spend at least 60 days with Santa Cruz.

Green, 30, holds four seasons of NBA experience with Boston and Chicago. The 6’4″ guard/forward was limited to 32 games in 2022/23 due to a lingering right knee problem. A strong athlete and defender who is limited offensively, Green holds career averages of 5.1 PPG and 2.8 RPG on .534/.342/.753 shooting in 186 regular season contests (15.8 MPG).

Collins, meanwhile, is a 6’0″ point guard who went undrafted in June out of Saint Louis. He averaged 11.2 PPG, 10.1 APG, 3.3 RPG and 1.3 SPG on .442/.319/.735 shooting in 32 games (35.1 MPG) as a senior last season. An All-Atlantic 10 First Team member each of the past two seasons, Collins suited up for the Warriors in Summer League action.

Once the signings of Green and Collins are official, the Warriors will have 20 players under contract, one shy of the preseason limit.

Warriors, Klay Thompson Making No Progress On Extension

October 15th, 2023 at 9:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Extension talks between the Warriors and five-time All-Star wing Klay Thompson are at a standstill, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports.

Speaking on NBA Countdown on Sunday night (Twitter video link), Wojnarowski indicated that Thompson could very well wind up on the free agent market next summer.

“I’m told that there has been absolutely no progress on a Klay Thompson extension in Golden State, that they are still apart on years and money,” he said. “There’s a very real possibility Klay Thompson goes into free agency next summer without a deal.”

Thompson is entering the final season of his current five-year contract worth nearly $190MM. He’ll make $43,219,440 this season. His maximum salary in an extension projects to be upwards of $50MM, but it’s highly unlikely he’ll command the max as he enters his age-34 season. Thompson is eligible to sign an extension until June 30.

Golden State, of course, has salary concerns. While the team has regularly been willing to pay punitive luxury taxes, the creation of the second tax apron in the new CBA puts the Warriors’ front office in a more difficult spot.

Including Chris Paul‘s $30MM non-guaranteed salary, but without counting Thompson, Golden State is at the luxury tax and $20MM below the second apron next year, ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets.

Major injuries sidelined Thompson for the better part of two-and-a-half seasons. He bounced back last season to start 69 regular-season games, in which he averaged 21.9 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists. He made 41.2% of his 3-point attempts, right in line with his 41.6% career average, while knocking down a career-high 301 shots from beyond the arc.

If he can deliver a similar season, Wojnarowski believes Thompson will be valued on the free agent market despite his age.

“You know in the marketplace teams value shooting, they value high-level wing defense,” he said. “For Golden State, this has a chance to become the first real test of keeping together that core of Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson.”

Former top Warriors executive Bob Myers, who also appeared on the show, believes Thompson would like to finish his career with Golden State.

“This is a delicate negotiation,” Myers said. “From what I know and see, he wants to stay and they want him to stay. Doesn’t mean it will happen. But it is a test … and this is probably the first real test.”