Damian Jones goes down, probably for the season, and the names of big men the Warriors might consider begin tumbling out of social-media clouds.
For now, the Warriors are riding with Kevon Looney and Jordan Bell as their primary centers. Jonas Jerebko will get minutes here and there. As will Draymond Green when he returns, probably next week.
Meanwhile, DeMarcus Cousins is practicing at the highest levels and the Warriors have not ruled out the possibility of him returning this month.
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Yet the names keep coming, nearly all falling under one of four categories: Free agents, G-Leaguers, buyout candidates and players overseas.
Here is a capsule look at five names that have been mentioned with varying degrees of frequency, not that any would vastly improve the Warriors’ roster:
Andrew Bogut (free agent)
Yes, some have asked if the Warriors might reach out to the big Aussie, who helped them win a title in 2015. The short answer is no. The longer answer is never. He’s 34. He’s playing in Australia and says he’s retired from the NBA. We believe him.
Golden State Warriors
Robin Lopez (Bulls)
He’s 30, big (7-feet, 270) and making $14.36 million in the final year of his contract. He’s a decent defender, a willing banger and a bit eccentric (the Warriors don’t mind). He’s also a backup on a team going nowhere, so he could become available.
Greg Monroe (Raptors)
He’s making the minimum ($2.16 million) on a one-year deal. He’s young (28) and beefy (6-11, 265), with scoring ability. But he’s slow and a horrible defender, which explains why he’s buried on the Toronto bench.
Kyle O’Quinn (Pacers)
Signed a one-year deal at $4.45 million. The Warriors considered him last summer, according to a league source. He’s big (6-10, 250), young (28) and skilled. So why is he on a streak of three straight DNP-CDs in Indy?
Willie Reed (G-League)
He’s 28, is 7-feet tall, weighs 245. He’s averaging 22.6 points and 11.7 rebounds with the G-League Salt Lake City Stars. He also was suspended in February for a domestic violence in August 2017. Though he completed counseling, the Warriors are wary of someone with that kind of baggage.
Is any one of these players extremely appealing? Well, no. Lopez and O’Quinn have the most to offer, but the Warriors must decide how much they’re willing to spend – or who they’re willing to trade – for someone whose role will shrink in a few weeks.
Though they are likely to add a player in the coming days or weeks, it’s not an urgent need. Looney is playing well enough to hold it down for 24-28 minutes per night. He’s trusted. He’s reliable. He’s disciplined. He has worked hard to get where he is.
The Warriors can fill the rest of the minutes with Bell and Jerebko, and then Green, until Cousins is ready.
“We will get Draymond back first and then hopefully DeMarcus shortly after,” coach Steve Kerr said in Atlanta. “And that will give us our first real look at what this team is going to be.”
It’ll be a Cousins-Looney combo, with occasional appearances by Bell or Green. That seems sufficient. We’ll know soon enough if the Warriors agree.