The NBA’s preliminary buyout deadline passed yesterday, meaning that any player currently on a roster that is bought out will not be playoff-eligible if they were to reach an agreement with their current team and hit the open market. The actual buyout deadline is April 1st, meaning there’s still time for the Warriors to explore some options for their 15th roster spot.

It was reported earlier this week that Santa Cruz guard Lester Quiñones was signed to a 10-day contract with the main team prior to that March 1st deadline. There was an assumption, however, that the move was to ensure two-way players Anthony Lamb and Ty Jerome could fulfill their 100 combined games played. The NBA requires a team’s roster to have all 15 spots filled in order for two-way contracts to be eligible for the 100 combined (50 each) instead of just 90 combined, which Lamb and Jerome recently hit.

Quiñones has been having a strong season with the Sea-Dubs, and some run should realistically have been in the cards for him coming off a 41-point game last week. While he’s put up very solid numbers on very solid shooting efficiency to go along with very solid defense that could be considered an upgrade over either of the current two-way contracts, Quiñones was assigned back to Santa Cruz on his 10-day, clearing the way for Lamb and Jerome to fulfill their respective 50-game totals.

In all likelihood, this is to keep Jerome able to play while Stephen Curry ramps up, and will make way to guarantee Lamb’s deal ahead of the playoffs. This is not the right move, however, given Lamb’s only actual contribution is his floor-spacing on offense. He can play a bit, but his decision-making while doing the little things on both ends of the floor (contesting his own team’s rebounds, missing rotations, helping off the strong-side corner) is poor enough that it could cost Golden State games in the postseason.

So instead, the Warriors should be looking to the buyout market. We already covered Serge Ibaka’s fit earlier this week, so we’ll be exploring a couple other options ahead of the deadline. The best choice at the moment is probably a tie between the following guys, for two different reasons:

1) Nerlens Noel
Noel was bought out by the Pistons on February 28th and cleared waivers this afternoon. He’s a good player, a strong defensive center who can rebound well and would bring interior size that the Warriors are severely lacking. His one issue is that he can’t really shoot, and when he gets to the line, he can be relatively streaky. Noel’s probably the best big currently out on the market, bringing some vertical pop and interior protection, as well as a good matchup-fixer against bigger centers that Kevon Looney or Draymond Green have tougher times covering. If the Warriors want to go big, Noel is their guy.

2) Stanley Johnson
Bought out by San Antonio earlier in February, Johnson is probably the prototypical wing the Warriors would want. Athletic and defensive-minded, he had an excellent stint with the Lakers last year before as a plug-and-play stopper. While he’s a career 30% shooter from deep, he’s connected on 45% of his shots this season, albeit on lower volume. This likely isn’t sustainable, but the mechanics are there if he can clean up his looks: He shot 80% from the free throw line not even two seasons ago, and has shown steady improvement since he’s entered the league. At 6’7, Johnson can be an effective upgrade in Anthony Lamb’s role: All of the shooting and athleticism, with a lot fewer mishaps defensively.

There are some other options the Warriors could explore on the buyout market, one being the aforementioned Serge Ibaka. While closer to the twilight of his career than some guys due to back issues over the last few years, Ibaka provides high-IQ interior defense while being a serviceable shooter. If this were the Serge prior to surgery, he’d likely still be making some very good money in the NBA, but his injury history could be a concern. Still, the Dubs could always use more IQ-heavy guys, and would likely make the best out of whatever he’s got left in the tank.

DeMarcus Cousins has been another name floated around: The former All-NBA center is familiar with Kerr’s system (having seen some run in the 2019 playoffs with the Warriors), has a polished offensive skillset, rebounds well (especially offensively), and is an absolute bully on both ends in the paint at 270 pounds. Even though he contributed to the Denver Nuggets as recently as last year, injuries cap his ability to play much like they do Ibaka’s. Still, he’s a strong candidate and if healthy, could end up as the best on this list.

And of course, on the very off-chance he gets an opportunity, Lester Quiñones could actually be a good option as well. Quiñones was a participant in Warriors training camp and their summer league squad, where he showed off some high-level skills. While he did struggle through camp, ultimately leaving the two-way contracts to Lamb and Jerome, he has the support of guys on the team like Jordan Poole. It could create a backcourt logjam with Gary Payton II returning hopefully soon, yet we’ve seen his ability to guard multiple positions: It may be worth giving him another look.

It remains to be seen if the Warriors end up making a decision at all, if on any of these guys. Their likely plan of action seems to be guaranteeing Lamb’s contract, for no reason other than they have another body on the wing. If he does make the playoff roster, one has to hope that GP2’s return and defensive engagement from the rest of the roster covers up the obvious hole he has on that end.

(Photo credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea / Getty Images)