The Golden State Warriors went all-in on a veteran backcourt when they traded away Jordan Poole for Chris Paul this offseason. They now add a young guard to soak up all that experience.
The Warriors are signing NBA Summer League star Lester Quinones to a two-way contract, according to NBA insider Shams Charania of The Athletic. The 6-foot-4 guard was one of the most impressive players on Golden State’s 2023 NBA Summer League roster this past July. Quinones held averages of 21.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 4.4 assists across seven contests in both Las Vegas and the California Classic.
The Dominican-American guard went undrafted in 2022 out of the University of Memphis. He eventually signed a two-way contract with the Warriors in March after serving as the first option on their G League affiliate Santa Cruz Warriors. Quinones played 18 total minutes in four NBA games with the big-league club last year.
Some Warriors fans are buzzing about the possibility of Quinones as the next Poole. Both play as confident combo guards with natural scoring ability.
The Warriors have never been afraid to feature young guards in their rotations over the years. Before Poole, names like Ian Clark and Quinn Cook played prominent roles on Finals-bound rosters as inexperienced prospects. Quinones will likely receive a similar opportunity from head coach Steve Kerr at some point next season.
Between Paul, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Gary Payton II, and free agent signing Cory Joseph, Golden State’s non-rookie guards own an average career length of over 12.2 seasons in the NBA. Quinones joins 2023 first-round pick Brandin Podziemski as the injection of youth in the Warriors’ backcourt this season.
Quinones is expected to compete for one of the final two guaranteed NBA roster spots the Warriors still have open as of writing.
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