Report: Warriors had ‘strong interest’ in former Grizzlies stretch big

The Warriors were among teams pursuing Killian Tillie last offseason before an injury.

Dub Nation is anxiously waiting for the Golden State Warriors to make a big move. With more reports suggesting the Utah Jazz will not be trading Lauri Markkanen to the Warriors over the next couple of days, there are reasonable questions about where general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. will look next. In other words, the fanbase was in perfect position for a deceptive aggregator to get them all riled up.

Popular aggregator account NBA Central found just the way to do that on Sunday, claiming that an article about former Memphis Grizzlies stretch big Killian Tillie said the Warriors had “strong interest” in signing him. Given Golden State’s already deep roster, it was perplexing for multiple reasons on the surface, which is why it’s important to read the article itself.

The report by Theo Lawson of The Spokesman did not say the Warriors are pursuing Tillie at the moment. Rather, it said that the Warriors (and 76ers) were among teams that had “strong interest” in Tillie prior to last season. Before Tillie signed a contract, though, he injured his ankle during a free agent workout and ultimately remained unsigned for the entire season.

Tillie was a nondrafted free agent out of Gonzaga who signed a two-way deal with the Grizzlies back in 2020. Over the next two seasons, he averaged 3.2 points and 1.6 rebounds in 11.9 minutes per game across 54 NBA contests. He made 31.1% of his three-point attempts.

It’s fair to speculate that the Dubs previous interest in Tillie would carry over to now. He returned to Summer League this offseason and showcased his shooting ability. The Warriors roster is in a far different situation than it was last year. Already full, it would probably take a consolidating trade or two, likely one that included Kevon Looney, to open up a roster spot for a big like Tillie. Furthermore, Golden State’s interest in a stretch big will presumably wane if they land Lauri Markkanen in a deal with the Jazz.