Warriors latest signing could come back to haunt major rival

The Golden State Warriors continue to make moves in the lead up to training camp, with their latest signing come in the form of 6'6" sharpshooter Blake Hinson.

After going undrafted in June, Hinson immedietly signed a two-way contract with the Los Angeles Lakers and appeared for the team during this year's Summer League. However, the 24-year-old would become a casualty of the Lakers signing Christian Koloko earlier this week, with Hinson waived to make room for the former Toronto Raptors big man.

The Warriors quickly nabbed Hinson just days later, signing him to an exhibit 10 contract which should allow the forward an opportunity to impress in training camp and further develop with the team's G League affiliate in Santa Cruz.

The Warriors could make the Lakers pay for giving up on Blake Hinson

Lakers fans are already nervous about how the situation may play out, with many being critical of the franchise being too quick to move on from Hinson after just eight games in the purple and gold during Summer League.

Maxwell Ogden of Lake Show Life detailed Hinson's talent in a recent article outlining why the Lakers gave up on him too soon, suggesting his skillset projects to earn a "potential role on an NBA-level roster."

"It's understandable for the Lakers to have prioritized signing Koloko when depth at center is a weakness, but losing Hinson to the Warriors could come back to haunt them," Ogden wrote.

Ogden also labelled the move as a "tough pill to swallow," with that only sure to be exacerbated by the fact Hinson has landed with a direct pacific rival. After all, the Lakers do have a history of giving up on a young player only for a nearby team to benefit.

The Lakers famously gave up on a then 21-year-old Ivica Zubac at the 2019 trade deadline, trading the Croatian along with Michael Beasley to the cross-town rival Clippers in exchange for Mike Muscala.

Muscala would average just 15.6 minutes across 17 appearances with the Lakers before departing that offseason, while Zubac has remained with the Clippers ever since and has started in all 220 of his games over the past three seasons.

That's not to say that Hinson will make the Lakers pay to a level that Zubac has, but there's talent to be explored for the Warriors over the coming months and hopefully beyond. Hinson averaged 18.5 points and 4.4 rebounds in his final collegiate season with the Pittsburgh Panthers, having shot 42.1% from three-point range on nearly eight attempts per game.