With a slew of players entering health and safety protocols the past two weeks, the NBA has decided that teams will have to ensure they have a playable number of guys on the roster. Per The Athletic’s Shams Charania, the league has stated that all teams are required to sign a replacement player if two of their current guys test positive and are entered into protocol.

Charania also mentioned that this number was increasing. If there are three positive tests, then two players are required to sign, and if there are four or more positive tests, three players are required to sign. This means that league rosters are expanded to a few extra players depending on if a team has multiple people testing positive.

This also means we could be seeing a lot of new faces in the NBA… but more likely, some old ones. Depending on team needs, former players who have been out of the league for a bit in addition to G-League guys who haven’t gotten their shot will be ending up on NBA rosters left and right.

So what does this mean for specifically the Golden State Warriors? Currently, the team has two guys who have tested positive - Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins - which means they should theoretically be signing another player soon. The question is, how does the team compensate? Losing two starters and key self-creating shot-makers is a pretty big hit to a Warriors offense that has allowed both Poole and Wiggins to thrive with Stephen Curry’s spacing.

So without further delay, here are a couple players the Warriors could be looking to target to fill those creation gaps with two of their three highest scorers out, and maybe a few extra additions if they’re required to get those replacement players ASAP.

1) Jamal Crawford
I know what you’re thinking. Crawford is far too old to get back into the league. He doesn’t have the legs he used to, he’s a sieve on defense, we’ve heard it all before. But when you look into signing a guy like Crawford as a replacement player, you are thinking on one thing: Offensive production. And at 41 years old, he can still move. His last full season in the NBA, JC went for 50. That’s right. 50 points with the Phoenix Suns, the oldest player to do so at age 39. He’s the all-time leader in 4-point plays, the only player in NBA history to have 50-point games with four different teams (that were all done at different stages of his career), and he’s also won the 6th Man of the Year award three times. He could bring some nice production and a couple points per game, plus veteran experience and playmaking, to a team that can cover for his defensive woes.

2) Jeremy Lin
While he’s currently under contract with the CBA’s Beijing Ducks, Lin last season played for the Santa Cruz Warriors for a brief stint. He averaged just shy of 20 points per game while shooting 50% from the field and 42% from behind the arc. There’s no question Lin can play, and he’s a Bay Area guy who attended Palo Alto High School before playing at Harvard. Once again, while his defense may not be considered serviceable and he’s 33 years old, we’re looking for bucket-getters to make up for lost points. Assuming he can get to the NBA during the course of the season, he would be an excellent target.

3) Lance Stephenson
Lance gonna make ‘em dance! Stephenson, an NBA veteran famous for his wild celebrations and blowing in LeBron James’ ear as an intimidation tactic during his days with the Pacers, is currently playing for the NBA G-League’s Grand Rapids Gold. He’s fresh off a season overseas where he averaged 26 points a game for the Liaoning Flying Leopards of the CBA. He shot 50% from the field (although only 30% from downtown), but was an effective scorer as an NBA journeyman in years prior. There’s plenty of evidence to indicate Lance still has it, and he would bring some rather effective scoring given that kind of freedom. He’s also only 31, making him the youngest guy on this list.

(Photo credit: AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)