The Golden State Warriors have agreed to a one-year, $3.9 million contract with veteran forward Georges Niang, filling the final spot on their 15-man roster, ESPN reported on August 25. Earlier the same day, Golden State agreed to a one-year minimum contract with reserve guard Brandon Williams.
What Niang is being asked to do
ESPN reported that Niang is expected to step into a reserve frontcourt role behind Draymond Green, Kristaps Porziņģis, Al Horford and rookie Yaxel Lendeborg. The job is the one he has held for most of his career: stretch the floor and stay available. He has made 39.9% of his career three-pointers on high volume, and before last season he appeared in 72, 76, 78, 82 and 79 games across five straight years.
Last season was the exception. Niang fractured his left foot in September and missed the entire year.
The roster this completes
Golden State spent the offseason re-signing the core it already had rather than importing a new one. Green re-signed on a one-year, $27.7 million deal in July after declining his player option, and Porziņģis agreed to a two-year, $40 million extension at the end of June. Those moves came after Golden State's more ambitious summer plan — a reported pursuit of LeBron James paired with a trade for Anthony Davis — did not come together.
With the roster now at 15, the next piece of business is Stephen Curry, who becomes eligible for a contract extension on Saturday, August 29. ESPN reported that both Curry and the team are expected to pursue a long-term deal.
Source: ESPN.
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