As the Golden State Warriors seek to fill a hole in their backcourt this offseason, numerous veteran players have been floated as potential solutions to this need.
However, as teams around the league swoop in and sign the available veteran guards, the Warriors may be able to go in an unexpected direction, taking advantage of the Los Angeles Lakers' recent waiving of 26-year-old guard Jordan Goodwin.
Goodwin, in his only season with the Lakers, wound up playing an important rotation role in head coach JJ Reddick's scheme, and, if he continues to trend in this direction, could be an underrated addition for any team seeking a stolid young guard.
Jordan Goodwin could be a sneaky acquisiton this offseason
Goodwin, who came into the league as an undrafted free agent out of Saint Louis, was a promising player coming out of college, having averaged 14.5 points and 10.1 rebounds as a senior.
After two seasons with the Washington Wizards, Goodwin bounced around the league, from the Phoenix Suns to the Memphis Grizzlies and, finally, landing on the Lakers. After spending some time in the G-League, Goodwin signed a two-way contract with the organization, and, in only 29 games, revived his career stock with a series of stellar performances.
Across his late-season stint with Los Angeles, Goodwin averaged 5.6 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists across just 18.7 minutes per game, even earning playoff minutes.
Yet, while he ended up playing an important role on the Lakers last season, the organization's signing of veteran guard Marcus Smart resulted in the unfortunate waiving of both Goodwin and Shake Milton.
While Smart joining Los Angeles represents another subtraction from the market that could affect Golden State, Goodwin's surprising availability could present an opportunity for the team to take a flyer on the young guard.
Although his scoring game is not quite there, he has shown an ability to quickly understand and become an integral part in a second-unit offense. Moreover, his defensive ability has grown with each season he has been in the NBA, and, despite his limited frame, Goodwin has proved to be a staunch and intense defender against NBA competition.
With the likely departure of Gary Payton II, the Warriors now need another backcourt presence that can bring the dependability and intensity that Payton did. While Goodwin lacks extensive NBA experience and is certainly not the ideal option on the market, he could be a cheap addition if Golden State is ultimately unable to add a veteran guard this offse