After signing Kevin Knox II and Yuri Collins to 10-day contracts earlier in the week, the Golden State Warriors made their latest acquisition on Sunday with the signing of Taran Armstrong to a two-way contract.
The Australian joins the Warriors after two years with the Cairns Taipans in the NBL, having averaged 17.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game this season on 46% shooting from the floor and 35% from 3-point range.
Taran Armstrong has drawn comparisons to Bulls guard Josh Giddey
As a big Australian point guard with excellent floor vision and playmaking, Armstrong has naturally drawn comparisons to Chicago Bulls guard Josh Giddey. Armstrong is actually older slightly older than his fellow Australian, but Giddey's path to the NBA has evidently been far easier.
The two -- along with Atlanta Hawks wing Dyson Daniels -- were teammates together at the NBA Global Academy. Giddey also played in the NBL for the Adelaide 36ers before being drafted by the Oklahoma City Thunder with the sixth overall pick in 2021.
It's easy to forget that Giddey was incredibly close to becoming a Golden State player, with the franchise having shown significant interest in him during the pre-draft process. The Warriors would have likely taken Giddey with the seventh pick in the draft, only for the Thunder to pounce which left Golden State to take Jonathan Kuminga.
I saw Armstrong play with Giddey and Mojave King for the NBA Global Academy around 2019, at the time I thought if any of the 3 were NBA players it was Taran. So pumped to see him get his shot. https://t.co/7co13PxPYv
— Harold Holt Memorial Pool (@champagnesftboi) February 23, 2025
6’5 Freshman point guard Taran Armstrong @taranarmstrong1 is leading the nation in assists and is averaging 12.3pts 7.7reb 8.8ast. Already drawing Josh Giddey comparisons. Could be the next Australian point guard to make it to the NBA pic.twitter.com/rPI6aLEhlD
— Swish Cultures (@swishcultures_) December 10, 2021
Taran Armstrong is better than Giddey 🫢
— NBLpocketpodcast (@NBLpocketpod) October 6, 2024
Nearly four years after nearly taking Giddey in the draft, the Warriors have now got their hands on another young Australian point guard with size. Giddey took to Instagram to congratulate Armstrong on Sunday, reposting a graphic of him in a Warrior uniform with the caption "right where he belongs."
The 6'6" Armstrong is an obvious two-way contracted player to invest in according to Sam Vecenie, with The Athletic's draft expert labelling him a "really intriguing player long term" who is "super smart" and has "great feel."
The 23-year-old joins Pat Spencer and Jackson Rowe on two-way contracts with Golden State. He is expected to spend plenty of time in the G League with Santa Cruz who are currently 12-8 and third in the Western Conference standings.
Santa Cruz has already proved a significant pathway for Golden State so far this season, with Quinten Post developing his game in the G League before his recent emergence in Steve Kerr's rotation, while Knox and Collins were rewarded for their production with 10-day contracts.