The Memphis Grizzlies may be about to create an opening that Golden State can’t ignore.
With roster cuts looming, Memphis has to trim from 19 standard NBA contracts down to the 15-man limit, and that process could put a former lottery pick like Jordan Hawkins on the chopping block before the season even begins. If that happens, the Warriors would suddenly have a real shot at a clean fit for the wing minutes left behind by Moses Moody, who is recovering from a torn patellar tendon injury.
Hawkins just landed in Memphis as part of a four-player trade with the Pelicans on Tuesday, a move that gave New Orleans the flexibility to sign former sixth overall pick Benedict Mathurin as an unrestricted free agent. But NBA insider Marc Stein reported Thursday that Hawkins may not last long with the Grizzlies.
"Memphis needs to cut four players to get from 19 standard NBA contracts to 15 by then, which puts the likes of Hawkins, Kris Murray and Micah Peavy in various levels of peril," Stein reported while noting former first-round pick Walter Clayton Jr. was likely to stick with the Grizzlies.
Hawkins came into the league as the 14th overall pick and was billed as one of the top shooters in his class. That shot has not fully shown up at the NBA level yet, though, with Hawkins hitting just 34.8% from three over his first three seasons.
Still, there’s obvious appeal for a team like Golden State, especially this early in the year. The Warriors are staring at wing minutes that have to be covered without Moody, and likely without Jimmy Butler too. De’Anthony Melton and Brandin Podziemski figure to absorb a chunk of the shooting guard work, but both are more versatile guards than pure perimeter snipers.
At small forward, Steve Kerr may end up leaning on Yaxel Lendeborg and Gui Santos, both power forwards by trade whose versatility could allow them to slide to the three. That leaves a clear argument for a player with Hawkins’ shooting profile to matter right away.
If Memphis does move on from him, Mike Dunleavy Jr. and the Warriors front office would have a legitimate reason to take a hard look.
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