Arcidiacono Another of Many Options for Warriors’ 15th Man
After coaching alongside Villanova’s Jay Wright in Tokyo, Steve Kerr and the Warriors brass find themselves with a former Wildcat as an option for their 15th and final roster spot this season.
According to The Athletic’s Anthony Slater, Golden State will work out former Villanova and Chicago Bull guard Ryan Arcidiacono this week, still in search of a potential backcourt reserve.
A 2016 NCAA national champion – and guard on the giving end of Kris Jenkins’ March Madness-winning triple in the championship game against North Carolina – Arcidiacono has spent all four years of his career in the Windy City after going undrafted in 2016 and making his NBA debut in 2017-18.
His most extensive season in the league was his second, playing 81 games in 2018-19 and starting 32, averaging 6.7 points, 3.3 assists and 2.7 rebounds per game on 37.3% shooting from distance – also his career average from beyond the arc. Arcidiacono became a free agent this past offseason after the Bulls declined his player option.
The news on Arcidiacono comes two weeks following Yahoo Sports’ Chris Haynes’ report the Warriors were also looking into veteran guard Darren Collison to fill out the team.
Despite a 10-year career split between five teams, Collison has not seen the floor since starting all 76 games he played in for the Indiana Pacers in the 2018-19 campaign.
The former UCLA guard retired in June 2019, but that hasn’t stopped teams like the Warriors from taking a flyer on the 34-year old. Guards Collison, Isaiah Thomas and Mike James were all worked out by the Lakers in mid-August, but the lack of signing for Collison two and four weeks following his workouts with Golden State and Los Angeles, respectively, may be another sign the Warriors’ interest in him has faded.
And the options don’t end there. In-house, Golden State could call on Mychal Mulder to suit up in his third season for the team. While not as much of a true point guard, Mulder shot 39.7% from three-point range in 2020-21, and the Warriors could be banking on a more consistent version of the Canadian to add to this year’s team.
Another intriguing and familiar option is Gary Payton II. The son of the Hall of Famer from Skyline High School and the Seattle Supersonics, Payton II played 10 games for Golden State at the tail-end of last season, inking a pair of 10-day contracts before signing a deal through the end of the campaign.
Payton II suited up for the Summer League Warriors in 2021, was first on the team in rebounding, shot 62.5% from the field and 60% from three – he did only attempt 10 triples – and had his contract guarantee extended so the Warriors could get another look at him in training camp.
In terms of more options before the season tips off October 19 against the Lakers, Golden State acquired guard Chris Chiozza via a two-way deal in August, and the onetime Net could finally find his footing this season by the Bay.
Lastly, the Warriors may decline to make a signing altogether, opting to be patient and wait on an intriguing buyout market later in the season to acquire a veteran.
Basketballnews.com writer Evan Sidery mentioned Kevin Love, Thaddeus Young, Tristan Thompson and Derrick Favors as potential options, while FadeawayWorld.net’s Kyle Daubs had potentially better fits for Golden State in Ricky Rubio and Goran Dragic, who now find themselves on the Cavaliers and Raptors, respectively.
A player who may make only a small impact at the start of the season may be important down the stretch in a league often characterized by injuries, and the Warriors have options to fill out their 15-man roster, it just depends on when they pull the trigger.