The Warriors intend to promote two-way player Juan Toscano-Anderson to their 15-man roster and will sign big man Jordan Bell to a two-way contract to replace Toscano-Anderson, according to Shams Charania and Anthony Slater of The Athletic. The two moves will likely be completed next week.
The report doesn’t come as a real surprise. Having dipped to 13 players on standard contracts following the expiration of Gary Payton II‘s 10-day deal last week, Golden State has to add a 14th man by next Thursday. Slater had previously suggested this exact scenario, noting that Bell had been linked to the team and Toscano-Anderson has earned a promotion from his two-way deal based on his play this season.
Toscano-Anderson, 28, has emerged as a reliable rotation player for Golden State over the course of the 2020-21 campaign, averaging 5.4 PPG, 4.2 RPG, and 2.6 APG with an impressive .584 FG% and .408 3PT% in 48 games (19.9 MPG). His performance has been crucial for a team missing some players on the wing, including injured All-Star Klay Thompson.
According to Slater, the terms of Toscano-Anderson’s new contract are still being finalized, so it’s unclear how much money beyond this season will be guaranteed or how many years the deal will cover. Golden State still has a portion of its taxpayer mid-level exception left, which could be used to lock up JTA for up to three years (through 2022-23).
As for Bell, his familiarity with the Warriors and Steve Kerr‘s system will allow him to step in right away and potentially contribute in the play-in tournament and/or the postseason, adding some depth to the Warriors’ frontcourt. Since this is his fourth year in the NBA, it’s the last season in which he’s eligible to sign a two-way contract.
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