The Golden State Warriors have prioritized, above all else, competition and flexibility with their late-offseason roster maneuvers.
They signed both Brandon Williams and Georges Niang to partially-guaranteed deals to fill their 14th and 15th roster spots, and both of those contracts are able to be voided relatively painlessly on the Warriors' part if it comes down to it. The same goes for Dalen Terry's Exhibit-10 deal, which he likely signed for a chance to compete with Williams for the final spot in the Warrior's backcourt.
Golden State also has some major decisions to make concerning their two-way spots. As of now LJ Cryer and Malevy Leons are signed on two-way deals. Cryer, who was one of the standouts of Summer League for the Warriors, seems safe.
But Leons doesn't.
Leons provided some valuable (if unproductive) minutes for Golden State last season when the rotation was at its lowest point. But with second-round selection Lajae Jones and big man Graham Ike likely pushing for two-way spots, Leons is likely the first man on the chopping block.
We'll need to see how the Warriors' contract situation unfolds, but Leons may easily be walking on thin ice as Golden State enters training camp.
Malevy Leons doesn't possess the same rotational upside as Graham Ike and Lajae Jones
Leons' production across the 25 games he played with the Warriors last season likely wasn't fully representative of what he can be in an NBA frontcourt. Although he averaged just 3.3 points and shot 44.4% from the field during that span, he was clearly hampered by a wrist injury—to the extent that he even needed to take free throws with his non-shooting hand down the stretch of the season.
He showed slightly more confidence and athletic pop during Summer League, where he averaged 9.8 points, six rebounds, and 1.5 assists while knocking down 56.1% of his attempts from the field across his eight appearances. At the very least, he has a relatively strong understanding of what he can accomplish in the Warriors' movement-heavy offense.
Still, it's hard to argue that Leons has higher upside than either Jones or Ike at this point.
Jones still lacks polish to his offensive game, but he has the height and strength to be a real defensive presence as a rookie, in the vein of Will Richard, if the Warriors ultimately decide to bring him in on a two-way deal. Ike, meanwhile, looked confident and effective on the interior as a scorer during Summer League, and he could provide valuable insurance if Golden State doesn't feel completely confident in Charles Bassey as their lone center depth behind Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford.
As of now, Leons is safe. He's an incumbent on the roster, and neither Jones nor Ike have been signed to any sort of deal. But if the Warriors' approach in the later portions of the offseason is any indication, there will be a competition in training camp for those two-way spots.
Leons is at an immediate disadvantage, especially now that Niang has granted Golden State extra depth in the frontcourt.
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