Warriors to sign Jordan Bell, convert Juan Toscano-Anderson’s contract
The Dubs are filling up the roster with familiar faces.
The Golden State Warriors have two open spots on their roster after trading Marquese Chriss and Brad Wanamaker at the trade deadline, and not re-upping Gary Payton II’s 10-day contract. And those spots need to be filled, per NBA rules.
And so they’re turning to familiar faces. According to Shams Charania and Anthony Slater of The Athletic, the Warriors are signing Jordan Bell to one spot, and converting Juan Toscano-Anderson’s two-way contract for the other.
The Golden State Warriors are planning next week to convert two-way forward Juan Toscano-Anderson into a standard NBA contract, and sign Jordan Bell into the vacant two-way deal, sources tell me and @anthonyVslater.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 7, 2021
For Bell, it’s a chance to return to the team where he started his NBA career. In 2017-18 and 2018-19, the first two years of the career, Bell averaged 12.8 minutes, 3.9 points, 3.1 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 0.9 blocks per game, and impressed with his raw talent. But he disappointed the team with his lack of professionalism, and they were quick to let him go when his rookie deal ran up.
Still, he has a lot of knowledge of the system, and a good number of friends in the locker room. If he’s grown in his two years away from the team, he could be a nice addition and provide emergency center depth.
For Toscano-Anderson, nothing changes this season. The alteration in two-way rules meant he was still eligible for the playoffs, and since he’d exhausted the initial 50-day limit, he was getting paid like he was on an NBA contract, so the money won’t change.
What does change is the Warriors ability to negotiate before free agency. Toscano-Anderson has worked his way into being a key part of the team going forward, and it’s likely that Golden State will structure a multi-year deal with him and lock him up for another year or two before this season ends.
Congrats to both players.