(Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images)
NBA center Usman Garuba just had a strong showing in the FIBA Basketball World Cup, averaging 8.2 points and 4 rebounds for Team Spain.
Perhaps that helped him land a new contract.
Shams Charania is reporting that Garuba has agreed to a two-way deal with the Golden State Warriors.
In the span of a few years, Garuba has seen a few ups and a few downs and he is hoping to get back on track with Golden State.
Free agent center Usman Garuba has agreed to a two-way NBA contract with the Golden State Warriors, sources tell me and @anthonyVslater. The former Rockets first-round pick is coming off averaging 8.2 points and 4 rebounds for Spain in the FIBA World Cup.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 15, 2023
He was the 23rd pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, selected by the Houston Rockets.
During his two seasons with the Rockets, he averaged just 3 points and 4.1 rebounds.
He didn’t get a whole lot of time on the court and never played an average of more than 13 minutes a game.
He also only started in three games during his entire time in Houston
It’s been a wild few months for Garuba.
He was traded to the Atlanta Hawks during free agency and was then sent over to the Oklahoma City Thunder after that.
But the Thunder ended up waiving Garuba, which meant that he didn’t have a team to play for.
He then went on to perform well at the World Cup and perhaps caught the eye of Golden State’s front office.
It’s clear that the Warriors are trying to beef up their roster and make it bigger in the final weeks of the offseason.
Garuba is 6-foot-8 and 220 pounds and can definitely make an impact in the paint.
Plus, he’s just 21 years old which means he can stay healthy and also grow even more as a player.
This might be a smart, end-of-summer deal that could really help the Warriors in the season ahead.
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