The Golden State Warriors signed veteran backup guard Cory Joseph to a one-year, $3.2 million contract. According to Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area, Golden State brought Joseph to serve as backup for both Steph Curry and Chris Paul. Johnson pointed out the ages of the two greats, which meant there would be times they would be rested.
Curry, 35, suffered a couple of injuries last season that limited him to just 56 games. Meanwhile, Paul is already 38 and doesn't have the best injury history. He missed the last four games of the Western Conference semifinals due to a strained left groin injury.
Cory Joseph will be 32 next season, marking the 13th year of his NBA career. Joseph spent the last two and a half years with the Detroit Pistons, where he started 52 games. That's the most he played as a starter during his career, considering he's one of the best backup point guards in the league.
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Joseph spent the first four years of his career with the San Antonio Spurs after getting drafted No. 29 in 2011 out of Texas. He won a championship with Spurs in 2014 as the primary backup to Tony Parker. He then signed for his hometown team Toronto Raptors in 2015 as a free agent.
The Toronto native was later traded to the Indiana Pacers in 2017, spending two seasons. He then signed with the Sacramento Kings before the Detroit Pistons acquired him midway through the 2020-21 season.
In his final year in Detroit, Joseph averaged 6.9 points, 1.7 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game. He's expected to serve as the backup to both Steph Curry and Chris Paul. He will also likely start any game the two miss due to rest or injuries.
Golden State Warriors need to add a big man
The Golden State Warriors are the only team in the NBA without a player taller than 6-9. Kevon Looney and rookie Trayce Jackson Davis are both 6-9, while starting power forward Draymond Green is 6-6.
Andrew Wiggins and Jonathan Kuminga, who both play the four position for Golden State, stand at 6-7. The Warriors barely made it past Domantas Sabonis and the Sacramento Kings in the first round of the playoffs last season.
They did not have a way to stop LeBron James and Anthony Davis from scoring in the paint in the second round. With Nikola Jokic dominating the playoffs, the Warriors need to add a backup big man.
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