Warriors could reunite with former guard after cruel blow to NBA career

Former Golden State Warriors guard Lester Quinones is on the search for his next destination, having been waived by the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday.

After playing 37 games for the Warriors last season, Quinones signed a two-way contract with the 76ers but played just four games before being waived in favor of 24-year-old big man Pete Nance.

The Warriors could reunite with Lester Quinones

Given the majority of teams are without a main roster or two-way spot, Quinones' chances of landing with another NBA team could be limited. The 6'4 guard averaged 2.3 points and 1.0 rebound with the 76ers, having played more than eight minutes just once during his short tenure.

If Quinones fails to earn another NBA opportunity, there's a possibility he could reunite with the Warriors via their G League program in Santa Cruz. As pointed out by @GSWCBA on X (formerly Twitter), Santa Cruz actually own his rights, meaning they'd have first opportunity at the 24-year-old if a G League return is on the cards.

Needless to say Quinones would be a huge addition to the Santa Cruz roster, having repeatedly proved an elite player at that level of competition. He actually played in five games for Philadelphia's G League affiliate the Delaware Blue Coats, putting up an impressive 22.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 4.0 assists on 41.5% shooting from 3-point range on over eight attempts per game.

Quinones played 33 games across two years with Santa Cruz, including 18 in his rookie season that culminated in winning the G League's Most Improved Player in 2023, as well as being named to the All-Rookie Team. He backed that up with 23.6 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game in 15 appearances last season, before closing the year with Golden State on the main roster.

Santa Cruz are currently .500 with a 4-4 record through eight games, having recorded back-to-back victories over the Salt Lake City Stars and South Bay Lakers on the weekend. Rookie guard Reece Beekman impressed by totalling 41 points, 13 rebounds, 15 assists and 10 steals across the two games, taking his season averages to 18.3 points on 54.5% shooting from the floor, while also adding 5.8 rebounds, 7.3 assists and 3.0 steals per game.

A Beekman-Quinones back court dynamic could certainly be deadly for Santa Cruz, not to mention that a return to Warriors program could give the latter the opportunity to revive his career with the franchise that offered him his first NBA opportunity.