Sports
NBA Rumors: Warriors Eye 'Glue Guy Who Will Not Be a Distraction' in Locker Room – Bleacher Report
Having two roster spots open going into training camp next week, the Golden State Warriors have been actively searching for players who might be able to step in for a role on a team with championship aspirations.
Per ESPN’s Kendra Andrews, one reason the Warriors are being thorough is because they are trying to find a “‘glue guy’ who will not be a distraction in a locker room already juggling multiple strong personalities.”
When the Warriors were eliminated from the playoffs by the Los Angeles Lakers in May, head coach Steve Kerr acknowledged “there was some trust lost” stemming from the incident when Draymond Green punched Jordan Poole during training camp last year.
Kerr says there's "no hiding" that the incident between Draymond Green and Jordan Poole at the start of the year impacted their season. <br><br>"There was some trust lost … we have to get back to what made us successful, which is a trusting environment."
The Warriors moved on from Poole during the offseason by trading him to the Washington Wizards as part of a package for Chris Paul. Adding Paul brings its own potential issues to the roster and team chemistry.
Paul has a long history of feuding with the Warriors. Green said on The Pat Bev Podcast (h/t Farbod Esnaashari of SI.com) after the trade he’s “publicly said I didn’t like Chris before.”
It appears as if Green has been able to put aside any past animosity he had toward Paul. He recently told ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk his “goal” for this season is to “help Chris Paul get his first championship.”
There’s also the question of what Paul’s role is going to be for the Warriors. The 12-time All-Star has never come off the bench in 1,363 career NBA games between the regular season and playoffs.
Kerr told reporters on Monday he still hasn’t made a decision about the starting lineup, but “everyone is going to have to embrace” their role regardless if they want to compete for a title.
Steve Kerr still hasn't decided whether Chris Paul will start. He said the Warriors will look at various lineup combinations during camp. <br><br>"If this is going to work, everyone is going to have to embrace it regardless of who starts."<br><br>Full detailed Kerr response. <a href="https://t.co/UtdyQKEms8">pic.twitter.com/UtdyQKEms8</a>
The Athletic’s Shams Charania and Anthony Slater reported on Monday that Rodney McGruder was finalizing a deal with the Warriors to compete for a roster spot during camp.
Andrews noted the Warriors have also brought in free agents Dwight Howard, Kent Bazemore, Juan Toscano-Anderson, Dewayne Dedmon, Will Barton and Derrick Favors for workouts recently.
None of those players have been signed by the Warriors, at least not at this time. From that group, Toscano-Anderson, Bazemore and Dedmon have played with Golden State in the past.
Toscano-Anderson spent his first three seasons in Golden State from 2019-20 to 2021-22, appearing in 139 games during that span. Bazemore had 172 appearances over two stints with the Warriors from 2012 to ’14 and during the 2021-22 season.
Dedmon appeared in four games for the Warriors during his rookie campaign in 2013-14. He finished last season with the Philadelphia 76ers as a backup center.
Golden State will open training camp on Monday, with its preseason opener scheduled for Oct. 7 against the Los Angeles Lakers at Chase Center.
