With training camp set to start next week, the Golden State Warriors have agreed a deal in principle to sign free agent forward Marquese Chriss. Conflicting reports claim it’s either a one-year deal or just a non-guaranteed camp invite with 14 players in Steve Kerr’s existing roster.
Yahoo Sports’ Chris Haynes initially broke the news claiming it was a one-year deal, though The Athletic’s Anthony Slater reported it’s merely a non-guaranteed training camp invite for the time-being.
Chriss was the eighth pick of the 2016 draft and part of a draft-night trade between the Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns – where he ultimately played two seasons in Arizona.
Statistic: He became the first recruit outside of the top 50 rankings to be drafted in the top 10 as a one-and-done player since the rule’s integration in 2005.
Chriss briefly featured for the Rockets before being traded again to start 2019
Chriss was again traded, this time to the Houston Rockets, last August. He made just 16 appearances, averaging 6.5 minutes per game before being involved in a three-team trade that saw him venture upstate to an underwhelming Cleveland Cavaliers.
Despite injuries and the like, the power forward managed to feature in 43 total games but all of his numbers were significantly down – barring a 11% FT increase -understandable given limited minutes when he did play.
What’s next?
During his rookie year, Chriss near averaged 10/5/5 with 32% from deep. If he’s able to improve upon those numbers while taking his defence to the next level, the Warriors could have a coup on their hands going forward: provided they do eventually sign him.
The specifics of his proposed Warriors deal remain too circumstantial to go into detail right now, though the 22-year-old’s reported attitude issues and tendency to disrupt locker room harmony with troublesome behaviour are not yet detrimental to his career prospects. Nonetheless, Chriss has a short window of opportunity to impress and earn the coveted 15th roster spot – which begins on October 1 in San Francisco, at their new $1.4bn Chase Center.
