Ranking 4 proposed buyout targets for the Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors made a late minute move on trade deadline day nearly a fortnight ago, clearing the way for more roster decisions to be made as we enter the second-half of the season.
The front office's decision to trade Cory Joseph to the Indiana Pacers was made largely for financial reasons, but the time is nearing for the franchise to make a decision on the roster spot vacated by the veteran point-guard.
Will the Golden State Warriors heavily consider outside options, or is there 14th roster spot likely to be filled internally?
The Warriors currently only have 13 players signed to their standard roster, leaving two spots available for them to use. Under CBA rules, a team can not have less than 14 players for more than two weeks in a row, leaving Golden State with a decision to make by February 22.
The expectation is that they will hand the roster spot to young guard Lester Quinones, converting the 23-year-old from a two-way contract to a standard deal. Quinones has impressed for Golden State over the last 10 games, featuring in all of them including playing at least 16 minutes in eight of those.
Quinones averaged 6.7 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists during the period prior to the All-Star break, shooting 40% from three-point range on 3.5 attempts per game. The Warriors are a +20 in his minutes over the last 10 games, with the team having gone 8-2 in that time.
Despite the good form, it's unlikely Quinones will be in the rotation once Chris Paul returns from injury, and even more unlikely that he features in Steve Kerr's playoff rotation should Golden State earn that opportunity.
Could the franchise instead target a more experienced piece from outside the organization? NBC Sports Bay Area's Monte Poole recently looked at five different buyout and free agent options that could be available to the Warriors, though one of them, Thaddeus Young, has since joined the Phoenix Suns.
Let's rank the remaining four based on how much impact they could provide Golden State over the remainder of the season: