The Warriors shocked many around the NBA with the release of Marquese Chriss. Chriss received much praise during training camp and was thought to be a building block for the Warriors in the near future. However, the Warriors had other plans.
Enter Damion Lee, who Chriss' spot was released for. Lee has been carrying a two-way spot load for the Warriors, spending time on them and for their G-League roster. But, his two-way deal was for 45 days, and that time limit is up.
Since Chriss's release was centered around Lee's pending deal, the Warriors are sitting Lee out until a full contract with the team is finalized.
Damion Lee is working to finalize a multi-year contract with Golden State, but he'll have to sit out until that deal is done. He reached the 45-day limit allotted under his 2-way contract on Friday. https://t.co/z88xxaScPM
— Connor Letourneau (@Con_Chron) January 12, 2020
So far, Lee's stats support why the Warriors want to lock him in for the long haul. His season averages are 12.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. While his overall shooting leaves more to be desired (40.7 percent) his three-point shooting has been impressive (36 percent). For the wounded Warriors, they will take all the help they can get to reach the finish line.
Entering next season, Golden State will enter the back end of their run, and establishing their young core is important. It's established Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Steph Curry will be back for the start of 2020. However, getting the likes of Lee, Eric Paschall and possibly Willie Cauley-Stein returning is important too. Even having D'Angelo Russell/whoever he's traded for onboard is important, too.
Good that the Warriors are keeping Lee out. It shows their commitment to the future and where they are aiming to go.
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