The Golden State Warriors have reportedly made a decision on their 14th roster spot after it was vacated by the departure of veteran point-guard Cory Joseph at the trade deadline.
According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowksi, the Warriors plan on converting two-way guard Lester Quinones to a standard contract, making him eligible for every game for the remainder of the season including the playoffs should the team get that far.
Signing Lester Quinones to the main roster was a predictable decision for the Golden State Warriors after the trade deadline
This decision had been weeks in the making, even before Joseph was officially traded to the Indiana Pacers. The move saves ownership millions in luxury tax, something that was outlined by The Athletic's John Hollinger prior to the deadline.
On the floor, Quinones has made a surprising impact for Golden State over the last few weeks. The 23-year-old has played at least 16 minutes in eight of the last 10 games, taking his opportunity in the absence of the injured Chris Paul.
Quinones averaged 6.7 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 10 games prior to the All-Star break, shooting 40% from three-point range. The 6'4" guard has helped Golden State hit their best stretch of the season, with the franchise 8-2 over this most recent period.
Despite his good form, it's unlikely that Quinones features as heavily over the remainder of the season unless injury hits. With Paul set to return in the coming weeks, the Warriors appear well stocked with Paul, Stephen Curry, Brandin Podziemski and Klay Thompson filling the guard spots.
Regardless, Quinones' promotion to the main roster is just reward for not only his impact recently, but more-so his improvement after going undrafted in 2022. Quinones won the G League's Most Improved Player Award in 2023 and impressed for the Warriors in Summer League last year.
Golden State still have one roster spot available to use, though it's unlikely they utilize it as they continue to try and save money on the margins of the league's highest payroll.