Warriors waiving Mychal Mulder comes as a surprise

The Golden State Warriors were heavy at shooting guard, but not many expected them to waive Mychal Mulder. Mulder, Avery Bradley, Jordan Bell, and Gary Payton II were all waived following the commencement of the team’s preseason slate, NBA.com wrote.

It was assumed that Bell, Bradley, and Payton were vying for the team’s last spot. I think it was also assumed that Mulder’s spot both on the roster and potentially even in the rotation was solidified with his solid play over the last two seasons.

The Golden State Warriors waived Mychal Mulder, and given his production last season, this move should come as a relative shock to fans.

However, that assumption was clearly wrong, and there’s good reason as to why the Warriors would waive Mulder.

For starters, they have a player in Damion Lee that they clearly value more. Also, they drafted 6-foot-5 shooting guard Moses Moody who has a 7-foot-1 wingspan. They seemingly plan to give him spotty minutes behind Lee as the third-string shooting guard.

Moody and Lee will dominant the minutes behind third-year projected starter Jordan Poole. Poole played lights out during the preseason, and he’s expected to carry over that role as the starting shooting guard.

As for Mulder, the shock comes in due to his play last season. He averaged 5.6 points per game last season. While it’s not incredibly impressive, Mulder shot 39.7 percent from deep which is the reason why he’ll likely be picked up by another franchise.

Mulder also struggled defensively, undersized for a shooting guard. At just 6-foot-3 and 184 pounds, Mulder gives up size to opposing guards, making it tough to justify him playing more than Moody who has a much bigger frame and could succeed defensively.

The shooting will keep him in the league, but with his skill set extremely similar to Lee, the waiving makes sense. But, given that there aren’t many players in the NBA that near 40 percent from deep, it’s still a little shocking to see the Warriors give one away.

Mulder has the potential to succeed, and now with him off the Warriors, the former Kentucky Wildcats’ guard, entering his third season in the NBA, should be able to be picked up elsewhere in the near future.