It turns out the Golden State Warriors weren't quite done tweaking the roster this summer.
Nearly three weeks after the inception of free agency, the defending champions will sign veteran forward JaMychal Green once he reaches a buyout with the Oklahoma City Thunder, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
Veteran forward JaMychal Green is working toward a contract buyout with Oklahoma City, and once that’s completed and he’s cleared waivers, Green intends to sign with Golden State, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 19, 2022
The Denver Nuggets sent Green and a protected future first-round pick to the Thunder last month in exchange for the No. 30 overall pick in this year's draft and two future second-rounders. He was never long for Oklahoma City, though, acquired in a cost-cutting trade that netted Sam Presti an additional draft asset for taking on his $8.2 million salary for 2022-23.
A buyout was always inevitable for Green, and his status as a versatile, role-playing big virtually assured that he'd end up with a contender.
Still, don't expect the 32-year-old to play a major role for the defending champions. Green isn't the athlete he was a few years ago, making him less effective as a switch defender and finisher. His jumper betrayed him last season, too, with Green shooting an ugly 29.9% from beyond the arc.
If he can't guard multiple positions or knock down open shots, there just won't be much opportunity for Green to make his mark with the Warriors. He'll likely fill the hole left by Nemanja Bjelica, who functioned as Golden State's tenth or 11th man last season depending on roster health and specific matchups.
The Warriors likely won't need Green to repeat as champions. It'd be surprising if he got regular minutes during the playoffs. But Golden State is one of basketball's oldest teams, and Kerr loves the culture and camaraderie afforded by going deep into his bench during the 82-game grind.
Green isn't the versatile, two-way role player he once was. Regardless, his signing still fills a roster hole and represents a major win for the Warriors on the buyout market.
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