Fringe players get a chance
In spring 2015, after Alfonzo McKinnie finished an injury-marred career at Wisconsin-Green Bay, his only professional offer was from a team in Luxembourg’s second division. It wasn’t until he Googled “Luxembourg” that he learned it isn’t part of Germany, but rather its own country of roughly 600,000 people.
Much has changed since McKinnie averaged 26 points per game that year in high school-size gymnasiums. With less than two weeks until the Warriors’ regularseason opener, McKinnie is one of several players vying for a possible guaranteed roster spot with the back-toback NBA champions.
Patrick McCaw’s stalemate with Golden State has forced the front office to start considering potential replacements should he not re-sign. After practice Tuesday, head coach Steve Kerr conceded that, “If there’s an opening, it’d be on the wing,” which leaves McKinnie, Danuel House and Damion Lee as the most logical in-house candidates.
“There are a few of us in that position who are trying to get a contract and trying to get solidified with the organization for the year,” McKinnie said. “Whether it’s a two-way (contract) or a roster spot, you always shoot for the roster spot.”
That McCaw remains a restricted free agent after seven practices easily has been the most surprising development of preseason. He has turned down two offers — one for one-year, $1.7 million, the other for two-years, $5.2 million with a team option on the second year — and appears increasingly less likely to return to the Warriors.
Though sources have told The Chronicle that Golden State is still interested in bringing back McCaw, he appears to be sitting out in hopes of finding a bigger role elsewhere. The Warriors, who can match any offer McCaw fields, might grow weary of a fringe-rotation player playing hardball and soon opt to go a different route.
They could pick between a number of established wing players — Jamal Crawford, Arron Afflalo and Corey Brewer, among others, are available. But given the team’s desire to get younger, it might prefer to give McCaw’s spot to one of its training-camp invitees.
Lee, Stephen Curry’s brother-in-law, might make the most sense. After he averaged 10.7 points and 4.7 rebounds in 15 games with Atlanta last season, Golden State was impressed enough with Lee to offer him one of its two twoway contracts.
But Lee is dealing with plantar fasciitis and has been limited in practice. Odds are that the Warriors wouldn’t give a guaranteed contract to someone they haven’t seen play with their All-Stars.
If McCaw doesn’t come back, House or McKinnie could make a case to replace him by simply looking like he belongs this preseason.
Toward the end of last season with the Suns, House logged major minutes, scoring a combined 38 points (on 15-for-29 shooting) with 14 rebounds, six assists and two blocks in two games against Golden State. Though he sometimes struggles to create his shot, he excels at getting to the rim and finishing in transition.
McKinnie, who played 14 games for Toronto last season, is probably the most intriguing prospect of the bunch. He is a bit rawer than front offices like to see from a 26-year-old, but he is an exceptional athlete adept at guarding multiple positions.