On Satudray, it appeared that Lonzo Ball joining the Golden State Warriors was imminent.
Now it’s looking like they will pass on him.
The Stein Line’s Marc Stein wrote the following on Monday:
“There were some fresh rumbles over the weekend that the Warriors might opt not to sign Lonzo Ball in the end after converting Pat Spencer from a two-way deal to a standard NBA contract.”
On Saturday, The Stein Line’s Jake Fischer wrote, “Golden State still has to go through Lonzo Ball’s medical before finalizing his addition.”
It’s not clear if the Warriors’ change of heart on Ball is related to his medical or something else.
Warriors’ Options Dwindling
On Friday, I wrote a column that had the Warriors’ top five options on the buyout/FA market. Of them, small forward Pat Connaughton and shooting guard Cam Thomas are already taken. The three remaining are Ball, center Chris Boucher and small forward Haywood Highsmith.
Highsmith would be ideal, but he’s probably the most coveted player on the buyout/FA market. The Warriors can’t offer anyone more than the veteran minimum, which could be an issue, as some suitors can offer a bit more.
The Warriors will likely be in no hurry to fill the 15th roster spot if they miss on Highsmith and don’t want Ball. The NBA allows teams to leave the 15th spot open. Last year, the Warriors didn’t fill it until March 4, giving it to Pat Spencer.
Here are most of the names the Warriors could be considering on the buyout/FA market:
– SF Haywood Highsmith
– PG/SG Lonzo Ball
– C Chris Boucher
– SG/SF Matisse Thybulle (currently out with knee and thumb injuries)
– SF/PF Georges Niang (currently out with a foot injury)
– SG Eric Gordon
– C Dario Saric
The Warriors could wait to see if more intriguing players are bought out in the coming weeks, but note that a player must be bought out or released by March 1 to be eligible for the playoffs.
