Warriors likely to keep final roster spot open for financial flexibility
The Warriors have made all of their free-agent and draft signings official by Thursday, and technically they could still do more.
It appears unlikely, though. The Warriors plan to keep their 15th and final regular-season spot open both to trim salary and maximize roster flexibility in case they want to sign a training camp invitee or acquire an additional player in a mid-season trade.
After acquiring D’Angelo Russell from Brooklyn in a sign-and-trade to offset Kevin Durant’s departure, the Warriors were then subject to a hard cap. Though the Warriors feel intrigued enough with Russell’s development as a shooter and playmaker to sign him to a four-year, $117 million, it is possible the Warriors could trade him for future assets anytime after Dec. 15, leading into the trade deadline or the following offseason.
So here is where things stand. The Warriors’ backcourt features Stephen Curry, Russell, Klay Thompson, Jordan Poole and Jacob Evans. The Warriors have various wing players in Alfonzo McKinnie, Glenn Robinson III and Alec Burks. They have plenty of front-court depth, including Draymond Green, Willie Cauley-Stein, Kevon Looney, Omari Spellman, Eric Pascall and Alen Smailagic. They also have Ky Bowman and Julian Washburn on two-way contracts. Those players can spend up to 45 days with the Warriors, while spending the rest of their time with the Warriors’ G-League team in Santa Cruz.
In a move that shows the Warriors’ faith in his development, Smailagic signed to a regular-season contract. It appeared possible the 18-year-old Serbian would be on a two-way contract after the Warriors drafted him at No. 39 as part of a trade to New Orleans for cash and two second-round picks (2021, 2023).
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