Georges Niang is still sitting on the NBA free agency market, and the door to Golden State does not appear to be closed.
The former Philadelphia 76ers fan favorite had been tied to the Warriors in early August, but Tuesday brought a different move from Golden State. Instead of Niang, the team signed veteran guard Brandon Williams, who spent the previous few seasons with the Dallas Mavericks.
That still leaves Niang in play for the Warriors, though. Golden State has enough roster flexibility to keep adding pieces, unlike the Sixers, and the club paused several moves earlier while pursuing LeBron James, including the re-signing of Draymond Green.
Once LeBron decided to take the Sixers route, the Warriors had to get back to filling out the roster. At this point in the offseason, though, the market is thin, and Golden State is not exactly shopping among the biggest names available.
Niang, if healthy, still fits the bill as a veteran shooter who can help. Marc Stein of The Stein Line reported that “one roster spot remains open for Niang.” Stein also said there is a “clear role available” for the forward.
A reunion with Philadelphia does not appear to be the likely path. If LeBron had picked his second option - the Warriors, according to the source - then Niang and James may have essentially swapped situations. The Sixers needed a power forward to battle Dominick Barlow for Dean Wade’s backup role.
With LeBron in the mix, Wade would become the top backup, and Barlow would need major improvement to earn regular minutes when the team is healthy.
For that reason, Niang does not seem like much of a fit for the Sixers right now. Their bigger need is at backup center, and when the team eventually fills its open 15th roster spot, that may be the spot Mike Gansey and Jameer Nelson target.
Golden State looks like Niang’s best chance. The 33-year-old forward has more than 500 games of experience, and his recent numbers show exactly why he remains appealing.
In his last stretch in Philadelphia, he averaged 9.2 points off the bench while shooting 40.1% from three. His 2024-2025 run with the Atlanta Hawks was even stronger, with 12.1 points per game and a 41.3% mark from beyond the arc.
Nothing is locked in yet, but Niang still makes a lot of sense for the Warriors.
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