With shooting guard Damion Lee now entered into health and safety protocols, it looks like the Warriors will need another “hardship” deal on the roster to comply with the NBA’s standards. Earlier this week, the Dubs signed G-Leaguer Quinndary Weatherspoon to a 10-day, hopefully to get them through until Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins are made available.

Of course, there’s still a lot of uncertainty surrounding the Covid situation around the league, so it never hurts to have a laundry list of guys that can be ready to go as needed. The Warriors are now bleeding a bit for offense, especially on the self-creating side, but unfortunately there’s only a few names on the list that could work for them.

“Iso” Joe Johnson, even at 40 years old, would have been an excellent option. However, the Boston Celtics already signed him to a contract this week. Johnson, an NBA veteran of a few years, saw serious minutes not too long ago and has always been considered one of the most NBA-ready OGs around.

Another great option (and somebody who should have been one of the Warriors’ two-way contracts in the first place) would have been JaQuori McLaughlin, who played very well in the Summer League for the Warriors, but the Dallas Mavericks currently have him under a two-way contract. If he’s games-played expires before the season’s over or the Mavs decide on a different direction, he should be one of the first calls Myers and company make.

There’s a few players who we can add to the prior list that might address some of the shooting lost with Lee’s unavailability, but with a tight market, we may have to get a little more creative with how we evaluate players, including new guys who could get the shooters the team still has open. Thankfully, Bjelica and Porter Jr. are both available still and are already percentage/volume-wise better options than Lee, so there’s some more room for innovative thinking.

1) Jordan Bell
Drafted in 2017 in the 2nd round by the Chicago Bulls, who traded him to the Warriors for cash considerations, Bell has been on and off the Warriors main roster for a few years now while playing for their G-League affiliate in Santa Cruz. He’s probably the most likely option to bring back as one of the hardship contracts as he knows Kerr’s system, and actually plays a position that would benefit the Warriors. He’s improved as a shooter, although his rim-running is the most vaunted part of his game. He does make up for the lack of wing depth the team will have as well, and he’s a solid defender. There’s definitely a role in this rotation for him, even if it’s a unconventional one. Bell would need to pick up his shooting even more than he has recently, however, for that to even become a viable option. He does play the dunker’s spot well and could help the Warriors by letting them go small without sacrificing much on defense, and given how he’s been around the team recently, it’s most likely he’s the guy they bring.

2) Stanley Johnson
At 25 years old, Johnson is a weird story. A lottery pick out of Arizona, he’s gone from team-to-team and spent considerable time in the G-League. What’s weird about Johnson is how his skills haven’t translated to the NBA. He shot 37% from three in college, but just recently had his best shooting season in the NBA at 32% during his stint with the Raptors last year. Johnson was drafted as a high-upside prospect, being a great, strong athlete with a 6’11 wingspan and already having pretty good defensive instincts. He’s played with the Pistons, Raptors, and Pelicans, so he hasn’t really gotten space to operate. He was mostly used a slashing wing on these teams, but the eye test tells that there’s definitely some good shooting mechanics to work off of there. He’d bring defense and, if they can get him the space to do it, some solid shooting to go with his driving ability.

3) Monta Ellis
Let me preference this with the fact that Monta would not be a good fit for this Warriors squad. He doesn’t shoot or play defense, and in order for him to be an effective scorer, he needs the ball in his hands constantly. He’s a solid playmaker and great off the drive, but those don’t really address what the Dubs are missing right now in an effective way. There’s also something to be said for how it could affect chemistry with his exit from the Warriors being a tough situation, and there’s also something to be said for the fact that he hasn’t played in the NBA in the past 5 years. With all that being said, Monta has been candid about wanting to retire a Warrior, and about how he thinks he can still contribute at the NBA level if someone would just give him a look. It’d be cool to see a Warriors hero come back to the team and help them through this tough time, and his driving plus vision could open up shooters around the floor, but there’s a lot to consider that may leave him off the list.

(Photo credit: Jed Jacobsohn / Getty Images)