Warriors will reportedly sign guards Bradley, Galloway to shore up bench — and Jordan Bell makes return
Galloway didn't play heavy minutes for the Suns last year, but the prior season was arguably the best of his career.
In their pursuit of backcourt depth, the Warriors are reportedly signing deals with Avery Bradley and Langston Galloway. They will also bring in a familiar face in the frontcourt: Jordan Bell.
Bradley is expected to fill the Warriors’ 15th roster spot, while Galloway and Bell will reportedly be on training camp deals.
The Bradley and Galloway agreements were reported Friday morning by The Athletic, and the Bell deal by ESPN. The team has not announced either deal.
Bradley played 27 games last year with the Rockets and Heat but has contributed in the past to title contenders. In recent years, injuries have slowed the 30-year-old guard, who received a championship ring from the Lakers despite opting out of the 2020 NBA bubble over family health concerns. He’s averaged 11.5 points per game over his career, shooting 43.5 percent on field goals and 36.3 percent on 3-pointers.
The Texas product drafted by the Celtics in 2010 is known as a defensive stopper at the point of attack more than as a significant offensive contributor. That skill set will be particularly valuable early in the season before Klay Thompson returns from his Achilles injury — and possibly into the stretch run if Thompson doesn’t have the same defensive burst after two season-ending injuries.
The Warriors need to replace starting and rotation minutes before Thompson returns with Kelly Oubre (Hornets) and Kent Bazemore (Lakers) leaving in free agency. Jordan Poole appears likely to be the first man off the bench and Andre Iguodala figures to get some minutes in a ball-handling role, but there are more minutes to fill.
Bradley will likely be in the mix along with Damion Lee, Mychal Mulder and Gary Payton II for playing time. That group is sure to get more playing time in the season’s early weeks before Thompson makes his return. Galloway appears positioned to compete for a roster spot with summer signee Chris Chiozza.
Galloway, a 29-year-old combo guard with seven years of NBA experience, played 40 games last year with the Phoenix Suns and averaged 11 minutes per game, both career lows. His shooting numbers, though, were the best of his career — both in terms of field goals (44.9 percent) and 3-point shooting (42.4 percent).
He fell out of the Suns’ rotation in the second half of the season and played in just two playoff games as Phoenix made its run to the NBA Finals. But just one season earlier, Galloway was a 25-minute-per-game fixture in the Pistons’ rotation with 10.3 points per game while shooting 39.9 percent on 3-pointers.
Golden State reportedly brought in Isaiah Thomas and former Warrior Quinn Cook for workouts this week alongside Bradley and Galloway.
Bell spent the first two years of his career with the Warriors before bouncing from Minnesota to Memphis to Washington. He played in only six games last year, including one with the Warriors after signing a two-way contract in May.
An athletic, undersized center, Bell played 125 games with the Warriors over his first two seasons in the NBA. James Wiseman and Kevon Looney are the only true centers on the Golden State roster but the Warriors have plenty of options elsewhere, including Draymond Green, the ultimate small-ball center.
The Warriors open training camp next Tuesday, Sept. 28.