The Golden State Warriors chose not to make any roster changes at the last possible moment before the NBA's Play-In Tournament, affirming that they've chosen Charles Bassey for the final roster spot ahead of Wednesday's game against the L.A. Clippers.
The Warriors could have moved on from Bassey and converted the two-way contracts of either Nate Williams, LJ Cryer or Malevy Leons, but keeping the 6'10" big man around is a logical decision given his strong impact while on a 10-day contract.
Warriors make logical decision in keeping Charles Bassey
Having signed with just five games left in the regular season, Bassey couldn't have done anything more to make the most of his opportunity after previous stints with the Philadelphia 76ers, San Antonio Spurs, Memphis Grizzlies and most recently the Boston Celtics.
In just his second game with Golden State last week, Bassey had a 14-point, 12-rebound, two-steal and two-block performance against the Sacramento Kings, then followed that with a 12-point, 13-rebound, two-block display in a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.
If that wasn't enough to convince the Warriors of persisting with him, Bassey concluded the regular season by quietly recording an equal career-high 16 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the floor and 6-of-8 from the free-throw line against the L.A. Clippers.
Williams was likely the player Golden State would have most strongly considered converting ahead of the postseason, having impressed since joining the franchise on a two-way contract in February.
The 27-year-old appeared in 14 games and scored at least 17 points on four separate occasions, but alas none of Williams, Cryer or Leons will be available to play in Wednesday's game against the Clippers, nor any further postseason basketball should the Warriors advance.
Warriors might need center depth if they advance through Play-In
Bassey is not only younger and arguably has greater potential as an NBA player going forward compared to Williams, but Golden State may have evaluated that they're in greater need of center depth if they're to actually make it through to the playoffs.
It's unlikely that Bassey plays too much of a role in Wednesday's game against the Clippers, yet with the ongoing health and injury concerns surrounding all three of Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford and Quinten Post, it's foreseeable that the former second overall pick would play a role should the Warriors advance to a first-round matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Bassey will be hoping the Warriors can do just that, giving him more opportunity to make an impact and further press his case for a contract with the franchise entering next season.
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