The Golden State Warriors have a strong idea of which 15 players will take the court for their season opener versus the Houston Rockets on October 17. The organization’s G-League affiliate, however, is still taking shape.
On Wednesday, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Warriors and power forward Georges Niang have agreed to terms for the upcoming season.
Sources: Free agent Georges Niang signed partial guarantee with Golden State. He'll likely play for Santa Cruz, GSW's G-League affiliate.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 16, 2017
As Wojnarowski states, it’s expected that Niang will spend the season in Santa Cruz in the G-League (formerly the D-League).
Niang was selected with the No.50 overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft by the Indiana Pacers. An Iowa State graduate, Niang was twice named to the All-Big 12 First-Team and recipient of the Karl Malone Award, awarded to the nation’s top power forward in college.
His success at the college level didn’t immediately translate to the NBA, as Niang struggled to find a spot in the Pacers’ rotation last year, averaging 0.9 points in just 23 games played. He showed his potential in the G-League last season, however, averaging 19.0 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists in six appearances.
Niang’s performance in training camp and in the G-League will strongly influence whether or not he’s called up to the NBA roster, should there be a scenario in which the Warriors need his services.