What To Expect With the Warriors' 14th Roster Spot

With the recent signing of Dario Saric, the Warriors have booked up what appears to be their 13th roster spot. Last year’s team followed a strategy that involved leaving the 15th spot vacant in case one of their two-way players showed some serious growth over the course of the season, and while that plan was inevitably wasted on Anthony Lamb, Golden State appears to be following the same concept this year, as most reports indicate they’ll look to only roster 14 players (not including their 2-way contracts).

So with one more roster spot left to work with, new general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. and company have some thinking to do. The number of available contributors on minimum deals has dwindled significantly (with most of them going to the Phoenix Suns), so veteran experience could be tougher to come by. The next wave is on the way, however, as news of contract buyouts begins to make its way into the cycle.

And while free agent minimums and buyout contracts are certainly options, the Warriors saw some contributions from their summer league guys which they may want to take a flyer on. In order to figure out who that last roster spot is, we’re breaking down each option and who might work in tandem with it.

1) Buyout Candidates
The buyout market is where contenders tend to get a lot better around the margins. This season hasn’t seen a ton of them yet, but there are likely more on the way. The first domino to fall was recently today, as free agent forward Rudy Gay was bought out by the Oklahoma City Thunder. Gay’s a journeyman who showed a lot of promise as a prospect, but injuries hampered him quite a bit throughout his career and he never lived up to the hype. What he did live up to was solid contributions in multiple fields: He’s been a surprisingly good team defender (especially in help) as his game’s come along with age, and he’s a career 34% shooter from the arc with over 3 attempts a game; while those numbers fluctuate year-to-year, players tend to lean on skills like shooting as their athleticism deteriorates.
Another popular buyout candidate with multiple skills? None other than former Warrior and NBA champion JaVale McGee. A true 7-footer who has an aptitude for blocking shots and catching lobs, McGee also has earned a reputation as a solid IQ player, a drastic improvement from when he was a popular of the NBA on TNT segment ‘Shaqtin-a-Fool’. He’s been efficient around the rim for most of his career because of his shot selection, and his free throws have even improved by a decent margin as time’s gone on. The biggest advantage that McGee brings is, obviously, his familiarity with Golden State’s system… And his biggest drawback, much like Gay’s, is that he’s now in his mid-30s and can’t play in long stretches of game. He was, however, a minor contributor to a playoff team as recently as his 2021-2022 stint in Phoenix, and would bring some familiarity with former teammates Chris Paul and the aforementioned Dario Saric.
And finally, a bit more of a vague name but a player who may be in buyout territory given the front court logjam on his Houston squad is Usman Garuba. Garuba’s a lot more on the younger side at age 21 so he likely will not be someone the Warriors take on, but he does have 2 years of NBA experience now, and he’s a very good athlete who has great work ethic in the paint. He can catch lobs and make hustle plays in short spans which the Warriors may need to sit Draymond Green or Kevon Looney, and CP3 has a tendency to make any athletic big he plays with look pretty good when they roll to the rim. He’d be easily the riskiest of the bunch, but for the right price if nobody else is available? There are certainly worse options.

2) Free Agent Minimums
There aren’t a lot of options here. As said, most of the good free agents the Warriors would want on a friendly contract have already signed with other contenders… but there are still a few good ones left. The first name which comes to mind is Christian Wood, who’s a bit of a mystery in terms of why no team has offered him any money. Wood has efficient splits on good volume and is two seasons removed from putting up 18 points and 10 boards a night. For whatever reason, he didn’t get much run while in Dallas, so the question lends to if he’s a personality problem or if he’s just injured too often with not good enough of an attitude to be worth taking a flier on. If Golden State does land Wood, he’d be an instant boon to their offense, and he’s shown some defensive improvement since coming into the league: He’d be an excellent bench piece who could be a steal if it turns out Jason Kidd was the problem the whole time.
Another free agent who was a victim of circumstance is Wenyen Gabriel. Gabriel is a former Laker who, like most other former Lakers during their recent years, didn’t contribute much to winning… But for all intents and purposes, he’s got a solid skill set and he’s efficient. He’s a versatile defender for a 6’9 power forward, has shot over 40% from three in three separate seasons, and he’s been around the league enough to have journeyman feel. While not quite the veteran the Warriors are hoping for probably, he could give them some very solid minutes as a backup center with his floor spacing and defensive aptitude. He’s an unrestricted free agent, and could be yet another gem who the Dubs give some career life to.

3) Summer League Standouts
This one’s always fun. The Warriors youth movement is said to have been certifiably abandoned after some of the vets expressed displeasure with the efforts of some of their younger guys. This ultimately led to Jordan Poole getting traded, but during the Vegas Summer League (and most of last year in Santa Cruz), there was a player who mirrored him pretty well: Lester Quinones. Quinones really made things look effort-Les for himself on the floor in Vegas, averaging a hair under 22 points per game on very efficient shooting, and looking not just controlled, but poised as a lead ball handler. Les also has the advantage of being a plus defender, using his larger frame as a 6’4 guard to body up the other team’s point and showing defensive awareness all over the floor. His spectacular shotmaking and willingness to take on tough perimeter assignments on the other end may buck the concept that too many guards is redundant thinking in Golden State of all places. The ideal scenario is to get Quinones on a 2-way deal, but with how he played the last few weeks, he may have earned a full contract that the Warriors will have to match.
One of the other Sea-Dubs who had himself a few good outings this summer was forward Gui Santos. Santos would have to be bought out from his Brazilian club where he’s played pro for a couple years, but he flashed some excellent skills for a mobile, do-it-all wing in Vegas: He impressed with efficient shot-selection, a shooting stroke that passes the eye test (if it’s a little streaky) and not just getting to the line often without fear but converting his makes at a high clip. Gui’s a rangy wing who is a solid help defender with good game feel, and the way he moves is reminiscent of Lakers standout Austin Reaves in a lot of ways. He’s crafty in the lane, has a variety of step-through finishes which complement his ability to get downhill, and his professional experience certainly helps to sell him as a potential contributor. While he’s the less likely of the two options here, the hope is that Santos stays a Warrior when he finally does break into an NBA rotation.

(Photo credit: George Frey / Associated Press)