As always, thanks to everyone who asked questions. You can ask questions for future mailbags on Twitter (@wcgoldberg) or by email ([email protected]).
Who will fill the last two roster positions, and is Jeremy Lin a possibility? – P.
After trading with Brad Wanamaker and Marquese Chriss at last week’s close of trading, Warriors general manager Bob Myers said the Front Office would « look into everything » on Friday before making a decision next week about how the team’s two vacant roster positions should be filled. The warriors can go in a few directions and will start snooping around the buyout market.
Andre Drummond (Lakers), LaMarcus Aldridge (Nets) and Gorgui Dieng (Spurs) have already made agreements with new teams. Golden State made no sense to them as a target but could try adding a little more depth with veteran point guard Jeff Teague. If Houston buys Avery Bradley, the warriors would likely have some interest. Other potential candidates include center Kelly Olynyk and striker Otto Porter Jr. should they agree to buyouts in the coming days. It’s worth noting that the Warriors have the $ 9.3 million disabled player exception available to sign a player to more than the minimum, but they are not expected to do so for anything other than use a real differentiator.
And while there is no immediate need to switch two-way contract players Juan Toscano-Anderson and Nico Mannion to the 15-man squad, the Warriors could sign long-term contracts to prevent them from doing so Summer join a restricted free agency.
During Friday’s media session, Myers admitted that the front office was considering bringing Justinian Jessup out of the NBL for the second round. That seems less likely at this point, however, as they’d have to buy him out of his contract, and the team appreciates Jessup’s chance to develop while starting for the Illawarra Hawks.
And despite many fans hoping to see Jeremy Lin at the Golden State, it seems unlikely. However, the Warriors could reward their G League daughter’s other players with an NBA test, such as center Kaleb Wesson and guard Ryan Taylor. Wesson, a 21-year-old rookie from the US state of Ohio, has shown potential as a tall man with shot blocking and ground clearance. Taylor is a 3-and-D wing who spent two years in Santa Cruz, defends well and shoots 43% from 3-point range. Golden State could either sign a 10-day contract or, if Toscano-Anderson is promoted to the 15-man roster, a two-way deal.
The Warriors must sign at least one player by April 8th to reach the minimum of 14 players in the league. Therefore, a decision should be made soon.
If you ask me, it’s probably wisest to add an experienced point guard to lead the second unit, promote Toscano-Anderson on a multi-year contract, and Wesson on a two-way contract for the depth behind James Wiseman and Kevon Looney to undertake direction.
Would Warriors consider packing Wiseman with the Minnesota pick to rise in draft? – @BotExemplary
While I doubt they’d swap Wiseman and the pick to move up a few spots – essentially two high-end rookies for one – one option might be to get their own 2021 pick and the Minnesota Pick to pack to mount. Though the Warriors traded their own first division club to Oklahoma City to acquire Kelly Oubre Jr., if she falls in the top 20, they retain the option. If the draft lottery were held today, that pick would likely be number 13, while the Minnesota pick would have a 60% chance of making it to number 4 or 5 in the Golden State. While that probably wouldn’t be enough to move up to No. 1 for alleged top pick Cade Cunnigham, it could be enough to move up a spot or two and nab Gonzaga’s Jalen Suggs, widely considered the most NBA-qualified candidate at the beginning of the draft.
Do you think it would be a good idea for Steve Kerr to tweak the offense to better suit Wiseman? The truth is, Steph Curry would still be able to get his, and Wiseman would have a better direction. – @ evansfelicia06.
It makes sense to build the offense around curry. His ability to move around without a ball and shoot off the hook is unmatched. The Warriors reached five consecutive finals with Kerr’s motion-intensive offensive. By naming 19-year-old Wiseman as their starting center, the Warriors have signaled that his development is clearly a priority this season. Meanwhile, he’s been used more like Zaza Pachulia than as a player the Warriors hope can be the next face of the franchise. Rather than being limited to put-backs and the occasional post-processing, Wiseman would benefit if more pick-and-rolls were called. This was the logic behind pairing Wiseman with Mannion and Jordan Poole in the second session, but now that Wiseman is a starter these sets need to be introduced to the starting group. I understand Kerr has an aversion to simple one-on-one crimes, but this is no longer a team of passers-by with high basketball IQs. Not only would Wiseman benefit from a simpler structure, so would Andrew Wiggins and Oubre. Curry is big enough that it will still be effective regardless of the system. The warriors don’t have to deploy full-blown James Harden-era missiles, but sprinkling more pick-and-roll in could help juice up an identity-less crime.
With all the talk that Kelly Oubre won’t be back next year, there is still no mention of which teams could have the space and need for a player of Oubre’s caliber and position. Do you have any idea? – @FischeZip
Several teams that had allocated funding for the maximum salary for Giannis Antetokounmpo, who signed an extension before the season, now have plenty of room for the cap. These include the Knicks, Raptors, Heat, and Mavericks. Oubre’s youth, athleticism and scoring chance will stand out from the crowd in an otherwise less than convincing free agent market, and these teams could do worse than signing the swingman. If he wants to return to New Orleans, the pelicans also make sense as a travel destination.
If Kerr isn’t going to use Eric Paschall, why not trade with him? – Curti
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It’s not that easy. If the Warriors could have got a Quality Score for Paschall, maybe they would have treated him. There is no evidence, however, that Paschall has that much commercial value. And despite Paschall’s resignation from the numbers he released as a rookie last season, there are still things the Warriors like about him – especially his scoring exposure from the bench and his defensive versatility. Even so, questions still remain about his long-term position and his ability to play within Kerr’s Movement Offense.
As Myers recently said on KNBR, « This is what we need to find out. He’s young. The story doesn’t end with him. He had freedom last year. Less this year. It’s up to date. Modern impatience « We want the players to do things right away. We still believe in him. »
Kerr noticed that Paschall is ultimately a power forward, but I wonder if he would be better suited as a center for tempo changes – much like a modern Marreese Speights. It’s easy to imagine Paschall walking in for a few minutes each half when curry and other entrees sit on the bench, letting him eat for a handful of possessions. Maybe it’s not a core rotation piece, but good teams need options.
Ref: https://www.mercurynews.com
