One Two-Way Spot Filled, Three Roster Spots Emptied in a Day
Golden State finally settled its last two-way spot on Graham Ike, and doing it meant three players left the roster on the very same day.
The Warriors added forward-center Graham Ike on a two-way contract on September 22, a day after Nate Williams, Lajae Jones and Seth Curry all left the roster on September 21. Lajae Jones has already signed with an Italian club, per a report from Emiliano Carchia; the Williams and Curry exits came without a next stop attached.
A Swap, Not Just a Cut
Ike's contract needed a two-way spot, and Golden State cleared one by moving three players out in a single day. Williams, Jones and Curry all left on September 21; Ike's deal was finalized the next day. Jones has already landed with an Italian team, the only one of the three with a confirmed next stop logged so far.
Williams' Minutes Didn't Save Him
Williams had carved out a bigger role last season, playing 14 more minutes a night over his final three games once a teammate went down. That kind of stretch usually buys a longer look in camp. It didn't here, a reminder that a two-way roster gets decided by more than a hot three-game sample.
The Number That Still Matters
Last season's best five-man group, pairing Curry and Butler with Podziemski, Green and Kuminga, outscored opponents by a net of 16.9 over 65 minutes across eight games, an offense at 119.7 and a defense at 102.8. That's the ceiling this roster can still reach. Churn at the margins doesn't change what that group looked like together.
The Calendar Takes Over From Here
Preseason opens October 4 at the Clippers, with games against the Lakers, Trail Blazers and Kings following through October 10. The regular season opens October 21 at the Lakers on ESPN. Butler and Moody are both out with knee injuries, each targeting a return around December 1, so the preseason slate is what Kerr actually has to work with before then.
Who is Graham Ike?
A forward-center who signed a two-way contract with the Warriors on September 22.
Why did Nate Williams leave the Warriors?
No reason was given in the reports; he left the roster on September 21 alongside Lajae Jones and Seth Curry, the same day Golden State's two-way move with Graham Ike came together.
