The San Antonio Spurs may have hinted at Kelly Olynyk's return to the franchise earlier this week, leaving the Golden State Warriors potentially needing to pivot towards Georges Niang to round out their roster.
NBA insider Jake Fischer reiterated his belief earlier in the week that the Warriors will wind up with one of Olynyk or Niang, but the latter may be the only available option after footage of Olynyk training with the Spurs in France at a workout held by Victor Wembanyama.
Warriors left with Georges Niang after Spurs give Kelly Olynyk hint
Niang is a different player to Olynyk as more of a forward rather than a big man, but that may actually be more worthwhile for Golden State given Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody will start the season still recovering from long-term knee injuries.
The question is whether the 33-year-old still has something left to give after a foot injury caused him to miss all of last season, having been traded three times in the meantime before being waived by the Memphis Grizzlies in February.
There has to be some optimism that Niang can be an impactful piece if the Warriors wind up signing him, having played reasonably well during his 79 combined appearances for the Cleveland Cavaliers and Atlanta Hawks in 2024-25.
Niang's 9.9 points per game were a career-high, including averaging 12.4 points in 28 games for the Hawks which featured a 27-point, five rebound performance against the Detroit Pistons after the All-Star break. Niang's 40.6% shooting from 3-point range was the third-best of his career, while his 5.2 attempts per game were also a career-high.
Warriors might actually need Georges Niang early next season
Golden State still need some high level 3-point shooting on the roster come opening night, with no healthy player who shot better than 40% from deep last season. Combine that with Butler and Moody's injuries, and Niang could actually have a steady role behind the likes of Draymond Green, Yaxel Lendeborg and Gui Santos in the forward rotation.
That's not necessarily a positive for the Warriors given the 6'6" forward remains unsigned nearly six weeks into free agency, but that's the reality for an aging, injury-prone roster that still has significant issues.
It now remains to be seen whether Golden State will land Niang, if Olynyk is still available despite his presence with the Spurs in France, or whether the Warriors will go in another direction with someone who may be a little younger and less experienced.
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