Deivon Smith is heading to the Golden State Warriors after a summer league run that turned plenty of heads, according to his agent, who told The Consensus NBA that the championship game standout is signing with the team.
The contract type hasn’t been disclosed, though it is expected to be an Exhibit 10 deal. That kind of agreement usually sends a player into training camp and preseason with a chance to win one of the league’s more prized two-way spots, and each team can carry three of those. If Smith misses out, the Exhibit 10 structure would still leave him eligible for a bonus if he’s waived and then returns to the Warriors’ G League affiliate.
Smith made a quick impression after being acquired by the Santa Cruz Warriors in February. The 6-foot point guard put up 17.2 points, 6.7 rebounds and 6.6 assists across nine games with Santa Cruz, and he kept rolling in the summer league title game. Against the Grizzlies, he scored 21 points on 9-of-14 shooting, grabbed nine rebounds and handed out three assists in Golden State’s 94-90 win.
Now 24 and entering his second pro season, Smith spent five years in college and most recently averaged 9.3 points and 3.9 assists for St. John’s.
Golden State’s two-way picture already includes LJ Cryer and Malevy Leons, while second-round pick Lajae Jones and summer league starting center Graham Ike are also in the mix. The first move in sorting out the roster comes down to Cryer, who impressed in his stint with the Warriors last season by shooting 39.4 percent on 5.2 three-point attempts per game.
The Warriors have two standard roster spots open, and one option is to upgrade Cryer’s deal. That would help avoid a crunch once he reaches his 50-active-games limit on the NBA roster and would also create another two-way opening. But that move could also limit flexibility if the Warriors want to bring in two outside free agents, since only one could be signed if Cryer takes one of those spots.
If Golden State leaves Cryer on a two-way contract, Smith’s path gets tougher. The team probably wouldn’t want two small guards occupying two-way slots. If Cryer is upgraded, then Smith, Leons, Jones and Ike could be fighting for three openings.
There’s also the possibility that Leons’ spot is less secure than it appears. He has a two-way contract now, but that deal can be ended at any time.
Still, the expectation is that Smith should land a two-way somewhere this season. If the Warriors don’t give him one, he may wind up elsewhere rather than returning to Santa Cruz on a G League contract.
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