Mulder earns 15th and final spot on Warriors’ roster
With the regular-season opener Tuesday at Brooklyn nearing, the Warriors made their final roster cut Saturday, waiving forward Juan Toscano-anderson in a move that makes Mychal Mulder the final player on the 15-man roster.
Mulder, 26, impressed in the preseason with his 3-point shooting, willingness to defend and teamfirst attitude. After years on the NBA’S fringe, the decision is a testament to Mulder’s patience.
On Saturday — the day the Warriors needed to waive Mulder in order to avoid guaranteeing $200,000 of his salary — general manager Bob Myers and head coach Steve Kerr met with Mulder to tell him that they’d be keeping him on the roster.
“I was ecstatic,” Mulder said. “It really brought tears to my eyes because it’s been a long time of uncertainty.
“To finally have some good news was really heartwarming.”
After going undrafted out of Kentucky in 2017, Mulder joined the Chicago Bulls’ G League affiliate, where he played two seasons before signing with the
Miami Heat’s G League affiliate in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
With the Skyforce, Mulder made nearly 40% of his 9.8 3-point attempts per game — an average only rivaled in the NBA last season by Portland’s Damian Lillard. In February, the Warriors signed him to a 10-day contract.
Starting in a game against the Philadelphia 76ers in March, Mulder scored 18 points in a 118114 win. Three days after his breakout performance — and nearly three years after going undrafted — the Warriors signed Mulder to a multi-year, nonguaranteed contract that became partially guaranteed Saturday.
“He’s on the roster for a reason,” Kerr said. “We really liked him a year ago. He was able to step in and play at a moment’s notice and knock down shots and defend and understand the game plan. There’s a reason he’s still standing.”
Toscano-anderson, Kerr said, could still return to the team on a two-way contract if he clears waivers in the coming days. In 13 games, Toscano-anderson, 27, averaged 5.3 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game for the Warriors last season. But, with the need for shooting in the wake of Klay Thompson’s season-ending Achilles tear, Mulder became the best option for the final spot on the roster.
Now Mulder aims to carve out a role on a Warriors team aiming to return to the playoffs. Buried on the depth chart behind other guards Stephen Curry,
Kent Bazemore, Brad Wanamaker, Damion Lee and Jordan Poole, Mulder’s perseverance will again be tested.
“I’m happy to be here today, and it’s my job to continue to do what I can to be around tomorrow,” Mulder said.
“I’m excited to attack it just like that — the same way I’ve been attacking this opportunity the whole time.”