The Long View · Morning

Camp's Revolving Door Doesn't Stop for a Two-Way Spot

Golden State's newest arrival on a two-way deal came within days of another player leaving for Italy and a two-day camp body getting waived, proof the roster's edges still move faster than the season clock.

By the Warriors Nightly Desk · Monday, September 21

Elias Ralph joined September 18 and was waived September 20, while Hoops Rumors reported the Warriors are signing Graham Ike to a two-way contract as Lajae Jones signed with a team in Italy. None of it touches the group that matters once games start.

Warriors Nightly artwork — Illustration by Hoops Nightly.

Two Days, One Body

Elias Ralph signed with Golden State on September 18 and was gone by September 20, waived before any preseason game had tipped off. It is the fastest turn camp has produced yet, and it says less about Ralph than about how many bodies Golden State is willing to run through before opening night.

The Last Two-Way Spot

Hoops Rumors reported, through both Kenzo Fukuda and Eli Cohen, that the Warriors are signing Graham Ike to a two-way deal, filling the two-way opening camp had left. The same week, Hoops Rumors' Emiliano Carchia reported that Lajae Jones signed with an Italian team, a departure that lines up with the spot Ike's deal just filled.

What the Best Version Looks Like

None of this touches the group that actually matters: last season, the five that put Curry alongside Kuminga, Podziemski, Butler and Green outscored opponents by 16.9 points per 100 possessions across 65 minutes together, the best mark of any regular five Golden State fielded. That lineup needs both Butler and Moody healthy, and neither is expected back before December 1.

The Season Opens Without Them

Preseason starts October 4 at the Clippers, and the regular season opens at the Lakers on October 21, nationally on ESPN. Butler and Moody are projected back around December 1, so Golden State will play roughly its first month and a half without either — meaning the group with the best number on paper won't be available until the season is already well underway.

Is Graham Ike joining the Warriors?

Hoops Rumors reported the Warriors are signing him to a two-way contract, filling their last two-way opening.

When do Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody return?

Both are out with knee injuries and are estimated to return around December 1, missing the start of the regular season.

By the Warriors Nightly Desk, written from the club's data and the reports on file, with every name and number checked against them. How the desks work.