Golden State Warriors can fix egregious offseason mistake with simple move

While the Golden State Warriors youngsters have shown improvement amid a four-game winning streak, there’s little doubt that Bob Myers and the front office made an error in placing so much trust in five unproven first-to-third year players.

That issue is heightened with the Warriors leaving their 15th roster spot open, along with having Andre Iguodala contributing zero from an on-court perspective. Fortunately, Golden State can make a simple move to address the mistake.

While it may not have the impact a trade might, the Golden State Warriors could upgrade their roster by waiving Ryan Rollins and giving a full contract to Ty Jerome.

Of the Warriors’ first-to-third year players, Ryan Rollins is clearly the least valuable from a trade perspective. One or two of the other four, James Wiseman, Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody and Patrick Baldwin Jr., could be involved in a trade/s, but if the Warriors don’t want to go down that path, then releasing Rollins for Ty Jerome could be the simplest move.

Rollins does have upside and he’s shown genuine potential in the G League so far this season. That’s yet to translate to the big time in his limited minutes, with Jerome preferred as the backup point-guard in the absence of Stephen Curry.

Waiving Rollins to sign Jerome would cause a further financial hit for owner Joe Lacob — The rookie was guaranteed $3.4 million when the franchise signed him to a three-year, $4.8 million contract after selecting him with the 44th pick in last year’s draft. To add to that, the Warriors also sent $2 million to the Atlanta Hawks to acquire that selection in the first place.

Is Jerome going to be a meaningful playoff contributor should the Warriors make it? Probably not. But if there’s issues within big games and Steve Kerr needs to turn to someone different, at least he could look down the bench and see Jerome as a realistic option who he holds trust in. The 25-year-old has proven a steady presence in recent times, offering efficient shooting and playmaking behind Jordan Poole.

Alternatively, the Warriors could just give Jerome the 15th roster spot and retain Rollins, however, that might limit them when it comes to the buyout market post the February 9 trade deadline. There’s also Anthony Lamb who the team may wish to convert onto the main roster, though they may prioritize having a third-string point-guard.

Golden State don’t need to make the decision right away — they can wait another six weeks or so for Jerome and/or Lamb’s 50-game allotment to come to and end. While giving up on Rollins’ potential so early may be a gamble, it could be necessary should the Warriors not make a more impactful move via trade.