SAN FRANCISCO -- Three weeks ago, Marquese Chriss sat in his apartment Bayside building in what could be only be described as purgatory.
Freshly waived by the Warriors, Chriss found himself in the shadow of Chase Center, providing a sight of a place of employment without a job that allowed him in the building.
"It is the business that we signed up for so things happen," Chriss said at the time. "I'm going to make the most out of any situation I'm in next."
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A week later, his goal was realized, in the way of a two-way contract tendered by the Warriors following waivers. Now, with the NBA trade deadline passed and a fresh season-long contract in tow, he's been provided another chance to be included in the Warriors' long-term plans.
Chriss made strides towards that goal in the Warriors' 125-120 loss to the Lakers on Saturday night, finishing with 26 points and nine rebounds in 27 minutes, providing glimpses of potential along the way. Twenty seconds into the first quarter, he set a brush screen for guard Ky Bowman, rolled to the rim and finished an awkward alley-oop attempt over JaVale McGee. Forty seconds later, he flashed to the top of the key, received a pass from Andrew Wiggins and calmly hit a 13-foot jumper.
With under three minutes left in the first half, Chriss received another alley-oop from Bowman, slamming it down to bring the Warriors within 11. By the end of the first half, he scored 20 points, adding four rebounds, making nine of his first 10 shots.
"He's just a different type of player," coach Steve Kerr said. "I'm just excited that Marquese is going to with us going forward. Our coaching staff has felt strongly about him all season long. He's doing a great job."
Golden State Warriors
Such games were uncommon for Chriss at the start of his career. In five years, he played for four different teams, developing an immature reputation. His image was ruined to the point he accepted a non-guaranteed deal with the Warriors prior to the season.
Even as he earned a spot on the team, the Warriors' financial position against the hard cap clouded his future with the team. Last month, with the emergence of two-way guard Damion Lee, Chriss' non-guaranteed deal became expendable, leading to his brief odyssey.
Over the next 48 hours, 29 teams had a chance to guarantee Chriss' contract for the rest of the season, but all 29 passed, bringing him back to the place he'd wanted to be all along.
"I told people I didn't want to go anywhere else to be quite honest," Chriss admitted. "This is where I wanted to be, so I had spoken to my agent about that just to make sure I could come back here."
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At the moment, Chriss remains in the midst of his season-long audition with the Warriors. With Willie-Cauley-Stein and Omari Spellman traded out of town, the big man remains the team's starting center, allowing him to work in the building he was looking at a month prior.
"This is where I wanted to be," Chriss said. "This is where I feel like I would be the best fit and obviously things worked out the way they were supposed to."