SAN FRANCISCO — The trade deadline has passed, but Bob Myers acknowledged that the Warriors will still survey the landscape in coming days for potential buyout targets.
The Golden State president of basketball operations/general manager spoke to the media Monday about the franchise’s approach following the four-team trade that secured them Gary Payton II and two draft pick swaps for James Wiseman. Without Wiseman, the Warriors don’t have a player listed above 6-foot-9 on the roster.
“We’ll have to look at the buyout market,” Myer said. “We hope that we have enough, but we’ll look and see.”
There are a handful of candidates who could be bought out and become available in the coming days to help out the frontcourt, but Myers said Steve Kerr’s input is also important. Myers doesn’t want to add a guy for the sake of doing it.
“It’s also determined by how the coaches will use that player,” Myers said. “For us to say, ‘Here’s a big guy,’ then they say, ‘Well, we’re not playing that guy,’ it doesn’t matter if he’s 7 feet tall or 8 feet tall. Any buyout conversation has to be done in collaboration with the coaching staff. Why bring a player in if they’re not gonna use him? If there is a player that the coaching staff and front office thinks can be helpful, then absolutely, we’ll go target that guy.
“This is a good John Wooden quote, ‘Don’t confuse activity for achievement.’ We don’t want to say we scoured the buyout market and here’s so-and-so, and the guy’s sitting on the end of the bench. For us it's $3-4 million, which (owner) Joe (Lacob) has done and would do.”
Golden State still has a spot remaining on the 15-man roster. Will they end up converting one of their two-way players to a full-time contract?
Two-way players can appear in up to 50 NBA games per regular season. Entering Monday’s contest against the Washington Wizards, Anthony Lamb has appeared in 42 games, while Ty Jerome has suited up for 37 contests. For now, Jerome finds himself in the rotation while Steph Curry (leg) and Gary Payton II (adductor muscle) are injured.
Myers said promoting Lamb or Jerome will be considered along with any potential buyout targets.
“I think we gotta look and see whether it’s that or another player, whatever it might be and compare ‘em,” Myer said. “And say to (coach) Steve (Kerr), ‘Hey these are your options. Which player do you think helps us most?,’ and then make that determination. With his many games in the season, this is never a thing where we say, ‘Hey, play this player.’ It’s a collaboration and we have to fit the system. We have to fit what will work here and does work here.”
