- 4 weeks ago
Willard and Dibs react to the breaking news that the Warriors are set to sign veteran Georges Niang, which -- after the signing of Brandon Williams earlier today -- locks up the Warriors' 15 man roster for the upcoming season.
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00:00Are you ready?
00:01For what?
00:02This.
00:0395.7 The Game.
00:06Breaking news.
00:09The Warriors roster
00:11is a
00:14final.
00:15For the final roster spot,
00:17free agent forward George Niang
00:20has agreed to a one-year
00:22$3.9 million
00:24deal with the
00:25Golden State Warriors.
00:27A career 40%,
00:29three-point shooter who missed
00:31last season due to injury.
00:33Oh boy. That's how we roll around
00:35these parts, but he is back
00:37and it had been much rumored.
00:39It is now official. Niang
00:41joins the Warriors
00:43and grabs their last roster spot.
00:45It sounds awesome. It kind of reminds
00:47me of doing the old school
00:49auction fantasy baseball draft
00:51where you need 25
00:53roster spots and you get down to the final
00:55three spots and you have $3 left
00:57of auction dollars and so you
00:59kind of have to wait.
01:00You have to wait for everyone to
01:01take the people who you can't afford
01:03and you wind up in that spot
01:05and you get George Niang and
01:07what, Brandon Williams?
01:08Brandon Williams earlier today.
01:10Yeah, first thing this morning
01:11or you could argue even for some
01:13in the middle of the night
01:14or so.
01:15Yeah, free agent guard Brandon
01:17Williams from the Dallas Mavericks
01:19also joined the Warriors on a
01:20one-year $2.6 million deal
01:22earlier today.
01:23Okay, and just looking at
01:25George Niang, he's 6'8
01:28and his nicknames are
01:29the minivan and G-Wagon
01:32so that's fun.
01:33I get where G-Wagon comes from.
01:35Why do you call him the minivan?
01:36I have no idea.
01:38There's your first question.
01:39Sure, I mean we could do a
01:40big finish with him when we have him on.
01:42He was a Pacers, a Jazz for four,
01:47two with the Sixers, two with the Cavs,
01:49then the Hawks and so
01:50yeah, journeyman, well-traveled.
01:53Yep, no, these are, I mean look,
01:54these are not like overly exciting names
01:57but they're NBA players.
01:59They're not, you know,
02:00these are not G-leaguers or whatever
02:02and so the Warriors never did make
02:05a splash this offseason
02:06but they did bring in some credibility
02:10I think today.
02:11Brandon Williams averaged 13 points
02:13a game last year.
02:15Niang, as you said, was hurt
02:16but at the same time
02:18he's got a long career in the NBA
02:21and apparently multiple nicknames as well.
02:23Yeah, and I think that for Brandon
02:24it was, you know, a G-League
02:26and then he got a little cup of coffee
02:28and then back to the G-League
02:29it's a little bit of fits and starts
02:31and then last year he actually got to play
02:34on a team that wasn't very good
02:35and he played pretty well
02:36so now you get to go out there
02:38and become a part of the Golden State Warriors
02:40and the more I look at this year's roster
02:42you've got your core of, I don't know,
02:45five or six older guys
02:47and then you've got the other core
02:50of maybe four or five younger guys
02:53like Will Richard and Pods
02:55and McGee and Yaxle
02:57and so then you've got this other group
03:00of four or five of question marks.
03:01Well, I was struck today
03:03I'll mention it again
03:04something that Kyle Shanahan said
03:06because we're very excited to see cut down day
03:10and we need that roster this Sunday
03:12you will know who made the team
03:14and who's getting kicked out to the practice squad
03:17who's cut, all of that stuff for the 49ers
03:20and that may all last one day.
03:24Right, if that.
03:25So when someone says
03:26I don't love where the Warrior roster is
03:29or what they did this offseason
03:31the way I kind of look at it is
03:34okay, but it may well be very incomplete.
03:38I do think that the Warriors got to a spot
03:41where they effectively got across the message
03:45that with all of the expiring deals
03:48in the absence of the right deal
03:51being available this offseason
03:52they decided that let's see
03:55what happens with the first half of the season
03:57let's see what the health of Jimmy Butler is
04:01and then if it's good or if it's bad
04:04we are in position to make the correct
04:07supportive deal at the deadline
04:10all of those expiring deals
04:12are no longer expiring deals
04:15once they've already expired
04:17so that means that their value kind of
04:21it tanks a little bit after the trade deadline
04:23and so here we are
04:25this is the roster
04:26and then I think whether they play well
04:29and want to sort of accentuate it
04:31or they play poorly and they want to blow it up
04:34February is kind of the next
04:36that's the next spot
04:37where you could see a new Warrior direction
04:39and most of the things that they've done of late
04:42are shorter term deals
04:44and like Yaxwell
04:44you're going to go ahead and keep him
04:45and so if Jimmy finds himself to be ready early
04:49and he looks good
04:50well then you keep him
04:51and maybe if he's not quite as ready
04:53and he's got that big contract
04:55maybe he's somebody you could move
04:57and same thing with Chris Stapp's Porzingis
04:59and so I do think that their optionality
05:01has not really been changed
05:03based on these last two signings
05:05that you know they fill up the roster
05:06and like you're saying
05:07you go into the year now
05:09where you've got Niang
05:10who is somebody who can play
05:1215 to 20 minutes a night
05:14and you know same thing with Williams
05:16you could put him out there for even more
05:17and Yaxwell and Pods played every game last year
05:20and Will in year two
05:21you expect him to be able to play
05:23so even if you have these guys
05:25who can't play back to backs
05:27and Al Horford probably not
05:29and Chris Stapp's Porzingis
05:31you don't even really know
05:32like what his health will be
05:34and Steph Curry with runner's knee
05:36and Draymond Green's getting older
05:37and Jimmy and Moses can't play
05:39I do think that you've added at least
05:41NBA bodies like you said
05:43there you go
05:43they're NBA players
05:44exactly
05:45which I think you know
05:46to characterize 2026 so far
05:49we've had two seasons
05:51of the really really
05:53front line teams here in the Bay
05:55and both seasons have devolved
05:57into where we're just grabbing people
06:00from the minors
06:01you know what I mean
06:02go look at the Giants box score yesterday
06:04the most diehard fan
06:06won't know who half the people are
06:08and they dominated
06:09right
06:10they played well
06:11yes they did
06:12and the Warriors season
06:13last year at times
06:14became the same thing
06:15you know
06:16where we had to all
06:17suddenly on the fly
06:18go who's Malavie Leones
06:20and who's
06:21remember that Nate guy
06:22Omer
06:23Kurt Saban
06:24Kurt Saban
06:27Nate Williams
06:28yeah Nate Williams
06:29Nate Williams
06:31Charles Bassey
06:32who's back now this year
06:33Bassey
06:33LJ Cryer
06:34like he's
06:35from Hayward Hills
06:36that I am
06:37too
06:38anyway
06:39whatever
06:39you know what I'm saying
06:40yep
06:40it just like
06:42both seasons devolved
06:43into where
06:44you needed to put together
06:46a roster
06:46and you're like
06:47how about that guy
06:48get the guy over here
06:49okay
06:49hey guy
06:50you're in
06:51and I don't
06:52think that this
06:53year's Warriors season
06:55I'm not telling you
06:56that this is a great roster
06:57it's not
06:58but I think that
07:00you know
07:00it's a little bit deeper
07:02on that front
07:03actual
07:04NBA players
07:05that can maybe
07:07hold the baton
07:08for a little bit
07:09if there's load management
07:10or injuries
07:10and people who have
07:11more of a track record
07:12and you know
07:13Pat Spencer became
07:14a fan favorite
07:15because
07:15he was a lacrosse superstar
07:18who turned out
07:19to be a real
07:19NBA player
07:20and like
07:21he played great
07:22it's like
07:22yeah Pat
07:23he was that
07:24mother jumper
07:24don't forget that
07:25he was exactly
07:25but beyond that
07:27you mentioned
07:27you know
07:27Williams
07:28and you know
07:29Yurt Saban
07:29and all the
07:30Leons
07:31and all the rest
07:31of the guys
07:32where you needed
07:33people to actually
07:34be able to wear
07:34a uniform
07:35and run up
07:36and down
07:36and play basketball
07:37so I do think
07:38that this
07:38like the second team
07:40now
07:40and the third team
07:41now
07:41feels a little bit
07:42more real
07:43a little bit more
07:44I guess
07:45authentic
07:46to an actual
07:47NBA roster
07:47it's a little bit
07:48of a
07:49oh gosh
07:50it
07:51it's not a deep roster
07:52but it's deeper
07:53than it was
07:54that's how I'll say it
07:55for right now
07:56it's better deeper
07:57I would say
07:57it's not a deep roster
07:59but it's deeper
08:00than it was
08:00right
08:01and it also has
08:03a young
08:04exciting prospect
08:05on it
08:06which I think
08:07from an emotional
08:08standpoint
08:08is a game changer
08:10absolute game changer
08:11it should be
08:12and you know
08:12beyond that
08:13you have a lot
08:13of the same old guys
08:15coming back
08:15and you would think
08:17that D'Anthony Melton
08:18should be healthier
08:19than last year
08:20where he was coming
08:20off the injury
08:21and Al Horford
08:22will probably be the same
08:23and now you get
08:2482
08:25not games played
08:27but 82 games
08:28of Chris Stapps
08:30and you would hope
08:31that the GOAT
08:32Dr. Rick Celebrini
08:33can get him
08:34to be able to play
08:35I don't know
08:3641
08:37or 50
08:38and I'm not trying
08:39to like
08:40game higher
08:40than half the games
08:41I won't
08:42I would
08:43boy
08:44I hope
08:45Chris Stapps
08:45plays more
08:46than 41 games
08:47I'm just saying
08:48I'm not guaranteeing
08:49you he will
08:49but if you look
08:50at his recent
08:50track record
08:51his recent
08:52track record
08:53of years
08:53has been
08:5545
08:55I think
08:56is about
08:56the average
08:57and so
08:57honestly
08:58like you
08:59always talk
08:59about this
09:00under promise
09:01over deliver
09:01sure
09:02well
09:02I mean
09:02there's no
09:03promise
09:03at all
09:04right
09:04I don't know
09:05if any of them
09:05are going to
09:05play any games
09:06well the promise
09:07is that you
09:07paid him
09:08and you know
09:09you're hoping
09:09that he can
09:10play basketball
09:10and so
09:11yeah
09:12will he play
09:1282
09:13probably not
09:14will he play
09:15zero
09:15probably not
09:16so in between
09:17the two
09:17like what
09:19what are you
09:19really looking
09:20at realistically
09:21it went poorly
09:22if it's only 41
09:23then it went poorly
09:24if it's only 41
09:26okay
09:27I would say
09:27that's the way
09:28I look at it
09:28it would go
09:29about according
09:30to form
09:30and yes
09:32I mean
09:32you want more
09:33than that
09:33and when he plays
09:35he is usually
09:36really really good
09:36but for me
09:37the reality
09:38of his situation
09:39is to where
09:40I'm going to
09:40keep the bar
09:41very low
09:41and that's fair
09:43I guess my point
09:44is if
09:4641 feels
09:47kind of like
09:47a par to you
09:49then the Warriors
09:50shouldn't have
09:50brought him back
09:51like that should
09:52not be a par
09:53that's bogey
09:54that might even
09:55be a double bogey
09:55I think they
09:56probably would
09:57put the par
09:58at closer to 50
09:59like if you
10:00didn't think
10:01that there was
10:02a reasonable
10:02chance for him
10:03to play 60 games
10:04then he shouldn't
10:04be on the team
10:06like when you
10:07remember when
10:08Joe Lacob was like
10:09with each situation
10:10we got to it
10:12where it was like
10:12do we want
10:13Melton
10:13or do we want
10:14you know
10:15Anthony Simons
10:16and we're like
10:16I think we want
10:17Melton
10:17I guess my point
10:19is if you only
10:20think that
10:20Kristaps is going
10:21to play half
10:22the games
10:22there had to be
10:23a better option
10:24out there
10:24there had to be
10:26somebody else tall
10:27who even though
10:29Kristaps is a
10:29better player
10:30if he's going to
10:31play that much
10:32more
10:32I would have
10:33taken the
10:34availability
10:34so I say
10:36that not
10:36to be critical
10:38of anything
10:38because we
10:39don't know
10:39what's going
10:39to happen
10:40yet
10:40but I would
10:40hope
10:41that the
10:42Warriors
10:42feel
10:43that if
10:44things go
10:45correctly
10:46and they're
10:47you know
10:48if they're
10:48granted any
10:49luck at all
10:50that Kristaps
10:51is capable
10:52of 60 games
10:53or
10:54I'm not asking
10:55for 75
10:56right
10:56and I think
10:57that the other
10:58side of it is
10:59you can play
10:59him I don't
11:01know 30 of the
11:01first 45
11:02and you can
11:03showcase how
11:04good he is
11:05and you can
11:05trade him
11:06and that's
11:06partly why
11:06I believe
11:07that they
11:08went out
11:08there and
11:08took the
11:09risk
11:09because his
11:09contract is
11:10one that
11:11is very
11:11movable at
11:13that price
11:13if you want
11:14to go to
11:14the deadline
11:14and if
11:15Jimmy is not
11:16a movable
11:17deal at
11:17that price
11:18and Draymond
11:19is somebody
11:19you don't
11:20want to
11:20move
11:20well
11:21Kristaps
11:21becomes the
11:22next movable
11:23number
11:23in my opinion
11:24no doubt
11:24yeah
11:25that's no
11:25that's fair
11:26but again
11:27who's going
11:28to want to
11:28acquire him
11:28if he's not
11:29playing unless
11:30it's just
11:30somebody that
11:30wants to
11:31dump
11:31something
11:31that's
11:31what
11:32that's
11:32how the
11:33Warriors
11:33got
11:33Kristaps
11:34Porzingis
11:34right
11:34and he
11:35would be
11:35expiring
11:36right
11:36because his
11:37deal next
11:37year is
11:38not fully
11:39guaranteed
11:39it's mostly
11:39not guaranteed
11:40I think it's
11:41got a three
11:41million dollar
11:42kind of guarantee
11:43to it
11:44so you can
11:45call that an
11:45expiring deal
11:46if you want
11:46because you can
11:47get out of it
11:48for cheap
11:48the Warriors
11:49have filled
11:50their final
11:51two roster
11:52spots today
11:53these names
11:54had been
11:54rumored for
11:55a while
11:55Mark Stein
11:56was tweeting
11:56about this
11:57three weeks
11:57ago
11:57but it all
11:59came together
11:59today
12:00free agent
12:00guard
12:01Brandon
12:01Williams
12:02who averaged
12:0313 a game
12:04for the
12:04Mavericks
12:05last year
12:05he signs
12:06a one year
12:07deal with
12:07the Warriors
12:08and then
12:08just moments
12:09ago
12:09the final
12:10piece
12:10breaks
12:11and that
12:11is free
12:12agent
12:12forward
12:12George
12:13Niang
12:13one year
12:143.9
12:15million dollar
12:16deal
12:16he was injured
12:17and missed
12:17last year
12:18but he is
12:19a long time
12:21veteran
12:21of the NBA
12:22little bit
12:22of a journeyman
12:23career 40%
12:24three points
12:25shooter and has
12:25some height
12:26at about
12:266 foot 8
12:276 foot 9
12:28so can
12:29he go out
12:30there and
12:31stretch the
12:32floor a
12:32little bit
12:33yes he can
12:34so that's
12:35what the
12:35Warriors have
12:36done
12:38check this
12:39out
12:39510 says
12:40I work
12:41with patience
12:42with pots
12:42he not
12:44playing more
12:44than half
12:44the games
12:46and the
12:46thing I go
12:47to here
12:48is I
12:49mean we
12:49still don't
12:50even know
12:50if it is
12:51I don't
12:52know what
12:52it is
12:53and I
12:53you know
12:54there was
12:54that whole
12:55uncomfortable
12:55thing
12:56when Steve
12:57came on
12:57the show
12:58last year
12:58and said
12:59that he was
13:00told that
13:00it was not
13:00pots and
13:01then he got
13:01in trouble
13:02for that
13:02and then he
13:03didn't want
13:03to talk
13:03about it
13:04anymore
13:04and I
13:05get that
13:06Chris
13:06Stops
13:07hasn't
13:07really
13:07defined
13:08it
13:08I don't
13:08know
13:08if it's
13:09pots
13:09I don't
13:09know
13:10what it
13:10is
13:11but
13:12if
13:12that's
13:14what
13:14the
13:15expectation
13:16is
13:16of somebody
13:17with that
13:18condition
13:18and he
13:19has it
13:19to where
13:20you can
13:20automatically
13:21be
13:21there's
13:21no way
13:22he's
13:22playing
13:22more
13:22than
13:22half
13:23the
13:23games
13:23well
13:23then
13:23why
13:23is he
13:24on the
13:24team
13:24then
13:25why
13:25would
13:25they
13:25have
13:26brought
13:26him
13:26back
13:26I
13:27feel
13:27like
13:27they've
13:27got
13:28to be
13:28more
13:28optimistic
13:29than
13:29that
13:31I
13:52they
13:52what
13:52what
13:53did
13:53Atlanta
13:54get
13:55for
13:55what
13:55they
13:55did
13:56with
13:56their
13:56time
13:56they
13:57just
13:57let
13:58them
13:58walk
13:58and
13:59no
14:00other
14:00NBA
14:00team
14:00has
14:01even
14:01picked
14:01them
14:01up
14:01so
14:02that
14:02clearly
14:02tells
14:03you
14:03what
14:04the
14:04Warriors
14:04in
14:05many
14:06more
14:06kind
14:07respects
14:07were
14:08trying
14:08to
14:08say
14:09over
14:09the
14:10last
14:10couple
14:10years
14:11they
14:11screwed
14:12up
14:12the
14:12timing
14:12of
14:13this
14:13no
14:13doubt
14:13but
14:14the
14:15league
14:15is
14:15not
14:16that
14:17interested
14:17in jonathan therefore what could you get for him bupkis that's what you could get well you got
14:25but you got off of the money and off of the situation and calmed the the screaming down
14:31that was going on and you got chris taps porzingis who when he plays is still really good he's not
14:38a
14:38star but he's still a really good player and so you're hoping that you can navigate october to
14:43february and best case scenario he's able to play i don't know 30 of the first 40 or 30 of
14:50the first
14:5045 games and you get to the deadline and you can then flip him to somebody who is you know
14:55willing
14:55to take on that semi-expiring contract and give you something else you're kind of kicking the can
15:00down the road that's what i think you're trying to do and they're doing it again right that's i mean
15:06used to be strength in numbers and now it's kicking the can down the road well i do think that
15:10the
15:10alternative was untenable to where you would wind up getting nothing for kaminga and the kaminga thing
15:17was a not a disaster but it was it was ill managed on both sides kaminga's camp the warriors they
15:24never
15:25got to the spot where it actually could work kaminga got hurt kurt didn't want to play him he
15:30wanted more money than they wanted to give him they finally gave him money knowing full well they're
15:34going to deal him to try to get something else and what they got back was not a healthy good
15:40player for 30 million and so now you're thinking okay how do i make uh chicken salad out of this
15:46chicken um of the sea so to speak it's an odd thing it's super odd but oh i don't know
15:55you're not i can't
15:56believe on august 20 i can't i i can't believe he's not on a team how's he not on a
16:02team well i mean
16:04you had the warriors sign two people today right so it's not like free agency is over these are
16:11minimum deals right so is that what he's taking are we doing minimum deal he's not getting 10 million
16:16i mean i mean there are reports out that he was already offered 10 million he said no right i
16:21don't
16:22know that that's true i don't know that that's true but i don't know that's true either but i do
16:26know this and what i know is my own opinion and my opinion is that he has the wrong agent
16:33his agent has no idea what he's doing that's my opinion and i know that that is what i know
16:40about
16:40my opinion i don't know whether or not he's an actual good agent but i look at what has happened
16:47and i know how i feel about it yeah that's fine i look at the agent and god bless him
16:53for doing an
16:53hour with steinian guru from a gym and you know coming is out there with the ha-ha against a
16:59couple of gardeners and a plumber and you know he's putting in work and aaron turner his agent is
17:04you know championing all the work jk's putting in and here we are in the end of august and your
17:10guy
17:11is unsigned you got sent to atlanta they didn't pick up the option you either did or didn't get 10
17:18million a year and you pooh-poohed it and now you're out there well the only thing i would add
17:22to this
17:23conversation is that you and i do not know what deals were offered and who actually was the driving
17:30force behind the answer no you know you can blame the agent all you want but for all you know
17:36the
17:36agent is sitting there going dude you should do this and he's like i'm not doing that fair that
17:41could have happened i have no clue i have no i don't know what was offered i do know a
17:46couple of
17:47the teams that were sniffing around and and i think what has largely been reported is is true
17:54right i i think that that cleveland was a spot i think that the lakers were a spot um maybe
18:03they
18:03still are i don't know but you know what i don't know is exactly what was offered and i don't
18:09know
18:10if the answer was no i don't know who was the one who said no you know what i mean
18:16like in the end
18:17the agent works for jonathan true so he even if he advised him to say no jonathan can be like
18:22i said
18:23yes and then you say yes right so and it i get where you're coming from i don't know the
18:31iuk thing
18:32where you know you we talked to tj hushmanzada who used to be his personal trainer and i asked tj
18:37myself
18:37i said how many people are left in the camp from back when you guys were all on his team
18:43and he
18:43said nobody yeah they're all gone it's 0.0 right so if the player decides he wants to do a
18:48certain
18:49thing yeah then the agent and the coach and the trainer and the this and the that they can all
18:53say
18:53well we don't agree with that and so we're out and i don't know i don't know if that's the
18:58case
18:58with the kaminga camp but here we are in uh camp will open up here in about a month yes
19:03getting here
19:04isn't it yeah i'll just say this about the golden state warriors and the roster that they have
19:09uh created i know that it doesn't excite a lot of people um i totally get that um what they've
19:15done
19:15with these deals today and this is no surprise you knew once they were down to two or three roster
19:20spots it was going to just be sprinkle in some some minimum contracts i didn't know if it was going
19:26to be you know just pull some people up from the g league turns out they've signed some people who
19:31actually have a little bit of nba cachet so that's nice um but what they have created
19:37is unbelievable maximum potentially unprecedented flexibility now that doesn't matter unless they
19:50do something with it and so that's sort of where my mind is as far as warrior basketball
19:55i i would love to see what this this flexibility that you are cradling like a baby right now
20:04i would love to see what it gets you what is it that you are going to do with this
20:09flexibility and i
20:10think the first time that we're really going to be able to ask that question and demand some sort of
20:15an answer is february um until then it's just hang on for dear life and hopefully they can surprise some
20:22people and win some basketball games and maybe some people step forward that you didn't realize
20:26we're going to step forward maybe yaxo contributes right away um and and try to win basketball games
20:32until jimmy comes back and or you arrive kind of at a trade deadline where you can start turning some
20:38chips in and make this flexibility be something that's tangible for the fans and is the step day is
20:44that coming up on the 29th 29th okay that's on saturday so but it may be nothing right but i
20:50mean
20:50that's when we can actually start to look at that's when an extension could yes possibly have
20:56extension eligible on uh on saturday saturday okay yep which i mean possibly that won't take
21:02away their optionality because if he wants to be here he's going to be here and they have room for
21:07all of it right but that's why i use the word unprecedented if they don't sign him to an extension
21:11they will in theory be moving toward an offseason while they will have more cap space than any nba team
21:18in the history of the league has ever had so that could be either fun or awful right depending on
21:26what they can do about it right