The Golden State Warriors Make History with the Signing of Lester Quiñones to a 10-Day Contract

On Wednesday, the Golden State Warriors bolstered their roster by signing guard Lester Quiñones to a 10-day contract, as reported by The Athletic’s Shams Charania.

The Golden State Warriors plan to sign G League Santa Cruz guard Lester Quinones to a 10-day contract, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Quinones is averaging 21 points per game for Santa Cruz this season.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 1, 2023

The rationale for signing is both straightforward and peculiar. It’s not foolish on the Warriors’ end, but because of an oddity in the NBA regulations. Two-way contracts allow players to be involved in up to 50 regular season games; since teams have two of these deals, they can take part in a total of 100 games.

In a unique twist, teams are allowed to employ two-way contracts for just 90 games unless their roster is full. To utilize the remaining 10 games, they must have 15 players on the roster.

It is likely to be assumed that after Tuesday’s victory against the Trail Blazers, Anthony Lamb (47 outings) and Ty Jerome (43 outings) have accumulated a total of 90 matches. If the Warriors wish to field one of these players on Thursday when they face the Clippers, they will need to add a fifteenth individual to their roster … which is where Quiñones comes in.

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Instead of converting Lamb or Jerome to a guaranteed contract, the team opted to postpone that decision for as long as possible in order to fill the spot with a buyout player, according to The Athletic’s Anthony Slater. It is likely that Steve Kerr’s choice for the 15th spot will be based on who he thinks is most necessary for the playoffs.

Warriors loyalists will be familiar with the name Quiñones, who the team swiftly inked to a two-way contract after the 2022 NBA Draft, during which the 6’4″ combo guard went unselected. Following a lackluster training camp, Quiñones and Quinndary Weatherspoon were let go, in favor of Lamb and Jerome, a decision which now appears to have been a wise one.

During the season, Quiñones has been making an impression on the Warriors G League affiliate, the Santa Cruz Warriors, with his play. Averaging 20.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game with a 36.1% 3-point percentage, the Warriors front office still has faith in him, potentially setting him up for a two-way contract next year. If Quiñones gets to play in the NBA in the next 10 days, it will be his first-ever game.

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