Two out, zero in. That was the summation of a disappointing day two of free agency for the Golden State Warriors, with the 2021 NBA champions losing guard duo Donte DiVincenzo and Ty Jerome.
In a move that had been materializing for the last few weeks, the New York Knicks acquired DiVincenzo on a four-year, $50 million contract. While his departure from the Warriors was very much expected, Jerome’s defection to the Cleveland Cavaliers on a two-year, $5 million deal was a little more surprising after Golden State tended a qualifying offer to the 25-year-old on Thursday.
The Golden State Warriors remain with four open roster spots after a relatively inactive first two days of NBA Free Agency.
Aside from the crucial re-signing of Draymond Green to open free agency on Friday, the Warriors have yet to make any moves over the first 36 hours. Green gives them 11 contracted players for next season, so expect at least three signings over the coming days/weeks.
The loss of Jerome does put a spanner in Golden State’s plans for their third point-guard spot behind veterans Stephen Curry and Chris Paul. While combo-guard Lester Quinones is likely to remain on a two-way contract, the front office will likely want to add more insurance to the 15-man roster.
Croatian big man Dario Saric was linked as a ‘high probability’ signing for the Warriors, according to NBC Sports’ Monte Poole on Friday. While there’s been no news to the contrary and Saric remains unsigned, it’s a little odd that there’s been no official confirmation as of yet.
Back to the point-guard conversation — there’s now a shortage of options available on the market. Perhaps Golden State could look at a number of veterans — Goran Dragic, Cory Joseph or George Hill — but there’s few, if any that inspire much optimism.
Of the available forwards, Torrey Craig remains by far the best possible option if the Warriors can snag him on a minimum deal. Although a poor fit in his one previous year with the franchise, could the front office consider a reunion with Kelly Oubre Jr?
Put simply, Golden State need to get active on day three or face the threat of having to sign underwhelming options with their final roster spots. Fan patience will eventually wear thin if no significant movement comes sooner rather than later.