© Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports
Rook, rook, rook. The Warriors have signed all three of their 2019 draft picks, two of whom they made trades to acquire, in Jordan Poole, Alen Smailagic and Eric Paschall. With Klay Thompson out and the Warriors hard-capped due to the sign-and-trade acquisition of D’Angelo Russell, all three players project to see time on the court. It locks the Warriors into a 14-man roster (including the injured Thompson) due to that hard cap, and the Warriors’ necessity to stay under the apron.
The Warriors have signed rookies Jordan Poole, Eric Paschall and Alen Smailagic to contracts. pic.twitter.com/YGeePLEKIy
— Warriors PR (@WarriorsPR) July 11, 2019
Because all three players are signed to guaranteed contracts (Smailagic was the only one in doubt, but given the fact that the Warriors traded two future second-round draft picks to move up and select him, there was never too much doubt), and the Warriors won’t have enough space under the apron to sign another player, the roster will effectively operate at 13 players (plus the team’s pair of two players in Ky Bowman and Julian Washburn) until Thompson returns, or the Warriors can sign a player to a guaranteed deal late in the season.
Smailagic is the only one (at just 18, soon to be 19 years old) who figures to spend a significant amount of time with the Santa Cruz Warriors in the G-League, as he looks to become the floor-spacing stretch 5 the Warriors are hoping he becomes, by developing his shot and improving his skillset.
Doesn’t sound like Alen Smailagic will be on a two-way contract. Expect him to be on the 15-man roster, though he’ll surely spend plenty of time in Santa Cruz.
— Connor Letourneau (@Con_Chron) July 11, 2019
This means that the roster is all but locked in, unless the Warriors get rid of Washburn for another two-way player, or, as stated above, sign a player late in the season, and/or make a trade that opens up space to fill out that 15th roster spot earlier in the year. But for now, and at least until January 15, this is the roster:
Warriors hard-capped roster appears set at 14
Guards
Steph Curry
Klay Thompson
D'Angelo Russell
Jacob Evans
Jordan PooleWings
Alec Burks
Alfonzo McKinnie
Glenn RobinsonWing/Bigs
Draymond Green
Eric Paschall
Alen SmailagicBigs
Willie Cauley-Stein
Kevon Looney
Omari Spellman— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) July 11, 2019
UPDATE: According to Connor Letourneau, the Warriors offered Damion Lee a two-way contract, but he is waiting to see if he can secure a guaranteed roster spot elsewhere. If he accepts, the Warirors would waive Washburn for Lee.
Been getting a lot of questions about Damion Lee. Warriors offered him a two-way contract, but he has yet to accept as he waits to see if he can land a guaranteed spot somewhere. That last two-way contract is the final roster decision facing Golden State.
— Connor Letourneau (@Con_Chron) July 11, 2019
