By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
The Golden State Warriors are set to present Usman Garuba with an additional opportunity to prove his worth in the NBA following two quiet campaigns with the Houston Rockets.
Garuba, 21, agreed to a two-way contract with the Warriors, according to Shams Charania and Anthony Slater of The Athletic.
Since becoming a free agent, the Spanish forward/center was determined to return to the NBA. However, considering his options beyond the league based in North America, he was reportedly on the verge of returning to Europe and Real Madrid. Completing his run with Los Blancos, he was named EuroLeague Rising Star and ACB Best Young Player in 2021.
The Spanish big is coming off representing his country in the 2023 FIBA World Cup. He tallied 8.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.0 blocks, and 0.8 steals per contest over five appearances in Jakarta, Indonesia. Earlier experience in major international tournaments extends to the 2020 Olympic Games and capturing gold in the 2022 EuroBasket.
After being selected with the 23rd pick of the 2021 draft, Garuba switched from Madrid to the NBA. He averaged 2.8 points, 3.9 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 0.5 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game over 99 games played through the 2021-22 and 2022-23 editions of the NBA Regular Season. Early in July, he was involved in a trade packing him to the Atlanta Hawks and then traded again to land in the Oklahoma City Thunder. In late August, he was waived.
Dwight Howard to meet with the Warriors
Besides setting up the addition of Garuba, the Warriors are also considering the addition of Dwight Howard, per Charania.
Howard, 37, will have a meeting with the California franchise next week to discuss the possiblity of reaching a deal, as noted in the report. The 2020 NBA champion with the Los Angeles Lakers last played in the league during the 2021-22 season. In 2022-23, he moved his talents to Taiwan.
Photo Credit: FIBA.BASKETBALL