Warriors major front office strength showcased again in preseason surprise

Entering Saturday's preseason opener against the L.A. Clippers, few would have thought that Lindy Waters III was going to emerge as one of the major storylines for the Golden State Warriors.

Granted his minutes came after the regular rotation players were removed from the game, but Waters still made the most of his first opportunity in a Warrior jersey. The 27-year-old had a game-high 15 points on 5-of-7 three-point shooting, including a crazy buzzer-beating game-winner that propelled Golden State to a 91-90 victory.

Lindy Waters III could add to the Warriors roster depth

Based on Saturday's performance, Waters deserves an opportunity to play alongside some of the more senior Golden State players. He's the third best shooter on the roster behind Stephen Curry and Buddy Hield, having shot above 43% from three-point range in both the NBA and the G League last season.

The question is how? The Warriors have too much depth on the roster as is, let alone adding Waters into the mix as another viable rotation candidate. While it is creating a logjam and legitimate issues for head coach Steve Kerr, Golden State general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. does deserve credit for his ability to find value at the end of the roster.

Waters could be the latest in a growing list of low-profile but valuable acquisitions Dunleavy has made since taking the role at the end of the 2022-23 season. Following Saturday's one-point win, Kerr paid credit to the GM for identifying Waters and trading what resulted as nothing but cash for the 6'6" sharpshooter.

“We liked him (Waters) in the past when we played against him. Mike (Dunleavy) did a great job of finding him and trading for him. He’s definitely got the skills to play our style," Kerr said.

Fans may understandably criticize the team's inability to land a second All-Star over the past 12 months (and in particularly over the summer), but it's hard to find fault with what Dunleavy and Golden State have been able to do on the margins.

Dunleavy's first moves were in the 2023 NBA Draft where he took Brandin Podziemski (19th overall) and Trayce Jackson-Davis (57th overall), both of who became significant rotation players by the end of their rookie season. After trading for Waters in June, Dunleavy also executed what appear like team-friendly deals for De'Anthony Melton, Kyle Anderson and Buddy Hield.

The new GM is building a reputation as one capable of evaluating talent that fit effectively into Kerr's system. If anything that should only increase the Warriors push for a blockbuster trade, with Dunleavy looking capable of filling out the roster successfully if some of the depth is decimated in exchange for a genuine All-Star.