The Warriors added some depth on Sunday, even if it wasn’t their first choice.
Golden State signed veteran reserve point guard Cory Joseph to a one-year minimum offer, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic. The deal is worth $3.2 million, but will only count for around $2.1 million against the cap because it’s a one-year deal.
That number is the reason why the Warriors went with Joseph as opposed to Eric Gordon, who Slater reports was Golden State’s top reserve guard target in free agency. Like many minimum options, Gordon wanted a second-year player option, one that he got from the Phoenix Suns.
Like the Warriors did with Donte DiVincenzo last year, Gordon wanted the security of a player-option, but the Warriors were unwilling to dole that out because it would make the first year count for all $3.2 million against the cap. Golden State is already facing a massive tax bill, so the savings of signing Joseph over Gordon will end up being somewhere around $7 million.
Joseph will act as the Warriors’ fourth guard behind Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Chris Paul. He will likely share minutes with Paul, and gives the Warriors multiple ball handlers with the second unit. Joseph, soon to be 32, averaged 6.9 points, 1.7 rebounds and 3.5 assists with Detroit last year. Over the last two seasons he’s shot 40 percent from 3.