After reaching an agreement to sign free agent guard Brandon Williams to be their 14th man, how will the Warriors fill out their projected 15-man regular season roster? NBA insider Jake Fischer, who has previously linked Golden State to free agent forward Georges Niang, doesn’t explicitly report that the two sides have a deal in place, but he tweets that he and his Stein Line collaborator Marc Stein continue to hear that a reunion with Niang “is in the Warriors’ offseason plans.”
Niang, a power forward, is a career 39.9% shooter from beyond the arc over the course of nine years in the NBA, but he didn’t play at all last season due largely to a foot injury that he suffered prior to training camp last September. While the 33-year-old has never played for Golden State, he had a stint with the Warriors’ G League affiliate in 2017/18.
It’s unclear if Niang is in position to command a fully guaranteed contract coming off a season lost due to injury, so if he and the Warriors do come to an agreement, he might receive a non-guaranteed or partially guaranteed veteran’s minimum contract.
We have more from around the Pacific:
- The Clippers‘ offseason earns a grade of “incomplete” from ESPN’s Zach Kram, since the team’s Kawhi Leonard blockbuster with Toronto remains in limbo as the teams await the conclusion of the NBA’s investigation into possible cap circumvention. Still, ESPN’s insiders break down the Clippers’ offseason moves and preview the season ahead based on the assumption that the Leonard deal will eventually be finalized, with Kram identifying big man Yanic Konan Niederhauser as L.A.’s biggest X factor in 2026/27.
- As Bob Iger and Joshua Kushner prepare to buy the Lakers for a valuation of $12.5 billion, Steve Henson of The Los Angeles Times solicits opinions from experts on whether or not the incoming owners got a good deal on one of the NBA’s marquee franchises. Count Josh Harris, the owner of the Sixers and the NFL’s Washington Commanders, among those who view it as a sound investment. “I bought the Commanders for $6 billion, and everyone said it was the highest price on planet Earth, and I think that now it looks like an attractive deal,” Harris told CNBC’s Michael Ozanian. “I think the Lakers are worth every bit of $12 billion.”
- In an interview with Sam Yip of HoopsHype, Kings guard Zach LaVine spoke about his career goals, the evolution of his game since he entered the NBA, and what advice he imparts to his younger teammates. “I just tell (younger players) there are certain things you have to sacrifice – your time, your friends – if you really want to be good at this and be great,” LaVine said. “You have to sacrifice a lot. I think that’s a big thing I’ve put in, I’ve sacrificed a lot of my time to try to perfect what I do.”