SAN FRANCISCO — The Warriors will feature a pair of fresh faces battling for a roster spot in their third preseason game Tuesday night in Los Angeles. Gary Payton II, who missed the first two weeks of training camp recovering from hernia surgery, will make his preseason debut, while free agent guard Quinndary Weatherspoon joined the team Monday.
Coach Steve Kerr said the Warriors would carve out time for Payton, who’s a strong candidate for the 15th and final spot on the regular-season roster along with veteran Avery Bradley, another defensive stalwart.
Kerr said the competition for the final spot has been fierce, but there’s still no guarantee that the Warriors opt to use it on anybody. Golden State carries the largest payroll and luxury tax burden in the league; Kerr and general manager Bob Myers have previously said that would be a factor in deciding whether to fill the 15th roster spot.
“I’m thrilled with the performances of all the guys who are fighting for that spot,” Kerr said. “I like the competition for it. I think all the guys we have here are really good NBA players, all of them. … But it also ties into what the front office decides to do, what ownership decides to do, obviously we’re a huge tax team. So ultimately, we have to figure all that stuff in before we make a decision.”
Weatherspoon fills the 20th spot on Golden State’s preseason roster vacated when the team waived Langston Galloway following their open scrimmage on Saturday, which also featured Payton’s first 5-on-5 action of the preseason. The Warriors must cull their roster to 15 before the regular season begins next Tuesday, Oct. 19.
At least two of those players — Klay Thompson and James Wiseman — won’t be ready to return from injuries anytime soon. The Warriors will get a status report on Jonathan Kuminga’s knee strain on Thursday, but it’s possible the 19-year-old No. 7 overall pick also isn’t ready for the start of the season.
That leaves Bradley, Payton, Mychal Mulder, Damion Lee, Chris Chiozza (on a two-way contract) and Weatherspoon competing for the final spots in the backcourt, under the assumption first-round pick Moses Moody is a lock for the roster.
The Warriors like Payton and Bradley for their defensive capabilities.
Kerr deferred to Weatherspoon, who goes by “Q,” to describe what he brings to the organization.
“I think I’m an all-around player, I just need to find my one great niche,” said Weatherspoon, who added he hoped to improve his 3-point game with the Warriors. “I can bring defense and just being able to knock down open shots, bring the energy each and every day to the team.”
Weatherspoon spent the past two seasons as a two-way player for the San Antonio Spurs, who selected him out of Mississippi State with the 49th pick of the 2019 NBA draft. He appeared in 31 games in San Antonio, averaging 1.9 points in 6.4 minutes per game; with the Spurs’ G League affiliate, the 6-3 guard started in 35 of his 37 games and averaged 14.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.1 steals in 29.1 minutes per game.
Weatherspoon said he became close with Jordan Poole in 2019 and is also friendly with Chiozza. The Warriors brought him in for workouts last month before agreeing to a contract Monday.
“Just being around these guys, it’s a great opportunity,” Weatherspoon said.
NOTES
- Andrew Wiggins, who missed Friday’s preseason game and Saturday’s open scrimmage, was back at practice Monday and will play Tuesday night against the Lakers, Kerr said. Wiggins got three consecutive days to nurse a sore knee.
- Jonathan Kuminga‘s knee will be re-evaluated Thursday. He strained his right patellar tendon in the fourth quarter of Friday night’s preseason game and has not been able to participate in practice. He won’t play Tuesday.
- Kerr hasn’t determined if star players such as Stephen Curry and Draymond Green will play in the Warriors’ final two preseason games. Both players have gotten at least 20 minutes in their first three games, and the final two contests are widely considered to be the real tuneups for the regular season.