NBA News Roundup, Sunday, October 6th: Golden State Warriors want to sign a center, Danny Ainge excited about Gordon Hayward and more
The 2019-20 NBA season is quickly approaching, and several teams played their first pre-season games last night. Nevertheless, while the season is less than three weeks away, plenty could still happen ahead of opening night.
Veteran free agents such as Carmelo Anthony, J.R. Smith, and Kenneth Faried are still yet to land in teams ahead of the new season, while big names including Chris Paul and Kevin Love have been linked with blockbuster trades. So, with plenty going on around the NBA, here is all the latest news and rumors you need to know for October 6th.
The Golden State Warriors are in the market for a center
The Golden State Warriors lost DeMarcus Cousins in free agency, while the team is also contesting with injuries to its remaining big men. Willie Cauley-Stein will miss the opening weeks of the 2019-20 season with a foot injury, while Kevon Looney could also miss time through a hamstring injury.
The injuries leave the Warriors with few options at center heading into the new campaign, and head coach Steve Kerr told Connor Letourneau of San Francisco Chronicle that the team was considering bringing in a veteran big:
There’s been some thought (of adding another center). We had a workout yesterday with a few guys. That’ll be decided sometime in the next few days. We are in a tough spot at that center position - not just in terms of the season 2½ weeks from now, but just training camp. We haven’t decided what we’re going to do, but we’ll see.
If the Warriors fail to add a center ahead of the new season, Omari Spellman will likely start at the five.