2 Young players the Warriors should develop, 1 to give up on
By Tyler Watts
The Golden State Warriors ditched the two-timeline plan this summer. They traded Jordan Poole for Chris Paul, re-signed Draymond Green, and ditched multiple young pieces for veterans. The Dubs want to win another title with their current core, and the league is wide open. Does that mean ditching more young talent like Jonathan Kuminga to go all-in?
Draymond could be the key to a fifth championship in ten years. He is currently beefing with Poole, and the Warriors must get their defensive anchor locked in before the start of training camp. Golden State needs a focused Green helping to lead the charge if they are going to make a lengthy postseason run.
The Warriors have just four players on their standard roster that are under 27 years old, and two of them were just drafted in June. Golden State is committed to developing those two, but a recent signing could crack the roster with a strong training camp. What should the Dubs do with their three non-rookie young talents?
2 Players the Golden State Warriors should develop, 1 they shouldn’t
Develop: Lester Quinones
The Warriors just inked Quinones to a two-way contract after a strong summer league where he averaged 21.9 points, 4.4 assists, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.0 steal in 30.7 minutes. The undrafted wing keeps improving, and he could quickly become a piece of the standard roster.
Quinones went undrafted in 2022 after three years at the University of Memphis. He signed a two-way contract with the Warriors last summer, but he only played 18 total minutes in Oakland.
Quinones was dominant in the G League where he averaged 21.8 points, 7.0 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 0.9 steals in 31.6 minutes per game. He won the G League’s Most Improved Player and was named to their All-Rookie squad.
The 22-year-old has plenty of potential, and the Golden State Warriors may be forced to give him some playing time if he remains dominant in the G League. The Dubs have massive spending concerns moving forward with the addition of the second tax apron, and Quinones could be an impactful player on a cheap contract.
The Warriors have two massive decisions to make with the other two young talents on their roster.