Having converted Pat Spencer from a two-way to a standard contract over the weekend, the Golden State Warriors still have one open roster spot available after last week's trade proceedings.
The buyout options are scarce in the days following the deadline, but Haywood Highsmith is a veteran fans from a number of teams, including the Warriors, have referenced following his departure from the Brooklyn Nets.
Haywood Highsmith could be a prime buyout target for the Warriors
After being traded from the Miami Heat to the Nets in the offseason, Highsmith never played a game for the franchise following meniscus surgery. He was waived immediately after the deadline, giving the veteran forward an opportunity to enter free agency and join a playoff-contending team.
For a team who lost Jimmy Butler to a season-ending knee injury last month, and who just traded Jonathan Kuminga away in a deal for the 7'2" Kristaps Porzingis, Golden State currently lack options at either forward position.
This is where someone like Highsmith could come into play, having generated significant playoff experience with the Miami Heat where he was a former teammate of Butler's. In fact, only 15 teammates have played more with Butler than the 150 times the 15-year veteran shared the floor with Highsmith.
The 29-year-old averaged nearly 25 minutes per game with the Heat last season, averaging 6.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists and nearly a steal per game on 45.8% shooting from the floor and 38.2% from 3-point range.
Highsmith is a prototypical three-and-D rotation player, having shot 37.4% from beyond the arc on his career, including a career-high 39.6% just two seasons ago. The real question is on Highsmith's fitness, and whether he's ready and able to be a rotation player over the remainder of the season.
Injury concerns are often why players hit the market at this time of the season, with Lonzo Ball's medical a big watch after being waived by the Utah Jazz. The Warriors were strongly linked to Ball over the weekend, but NBA insider Marc Stein revealed on Monday that the franchise may not be so interested in the former second overall pick.
"There were some fresh rumbles over the weekend that the Warriors might opt not to sign Lonzo Ball in the end after converting Pat Spencer from a two-way deal to a standard NBA contract," Stein wrote.
That could leave Highsmith as a genuine option, albeit the chemistry between he and Butler is unfortunately not as valuable given the latter's season-ending injury.