Initially, it appeared the Golden State Warriors were preparing to fill their final roster spot with former No. 2 overall pick Lonzo Ball.
A Saturday morning report from the Stein Line’s Jake Fischer indicated as such.
“As the Warriors are working to convert two-way guard Pat Spencer to a roster spot, Golden State also has its sights set on adding Lonzo Ball via the buyout market,” Fischer stated.
However, Fischer’s co-worker, Marc Stein, revealed that the Warriors may not bring Ball on board via a buyout after all, which could result in the franchise ultimately taking a different approach.
An ex-Houston Rockets Sixth Man of the Year could be a viable backup plan for the Warriors on the buyout market, according to Heavy’s Keith Watkins.
“The Warriors need spacing, particularly with Butler out and Curry’s return timeline unclear,” Watkins wrote Sunday. “Gordon provides that in a low-usage role. He doesn’t need plays run for him or extended minutes. He just needs to make defenses respect his shooting and keep the floor open for Golden State’s primary options.”
“The defensive concerns are real. Gordon can be targeted in matchups at this stage of his career. The Warriors would need to surround him with enough size and defensive ability to compensate.”
“But for a team looking for one simple tool to help in the stretch run, Gordon’s shooting and veteran presence check that box.”
It’s impressive that Gordon is still deemed a valuable bench asset at age 37. The former first-round pick isn’t the high-level role player he was in his prime, but he’s still a trustworthy three-point shooting threat who’s been around for nearly two decades.
Gordon averaged 5.5 points on 57.1% field goal shooting and 57.1% three-point shooting in six games with the Philadelphia 76ers before getting traded to the Memphis Grizzlies last Thursday. Gordon was waived by the Grizzlies shortly after.
The 6-foot-3 veteran guard could be exactly what the Warriors need in the second unit moving forward.
More NBA: Warriors get major Lonzo Ball buyout update