The two biggest franchises in the NBA, the L.A. Lakers and the Golden State Warriors, have finalized their rosters ahead of their highly anticipated regular season. On opening day, the two franchises are set to collide and have now met the league’s compliance requirements for competing on that day.
As anticipated when the Warriors signed him, Golden State has waived Seth Curry, the brother of their franchise player, Stephen Curry. However, he is expected to be back on the roster in November when the second apron restrictions are lifted from the Warriors. The Warriors could not sign a 15th player on their roster due to the second apron restrictions, but come November, those will be lifted, and they are expected to bring him back then.
What is surprising is that the Warriors did not play Seth Curry in a single game in their preseason run. They only seem to have brought him on so that he could train with the team during this time and join them on the court directly when he is signed in November. The 35-year-old veteran likely did not want to risk injury during the preseason and used this time to get acquainted with the culture, work ethic, and his potential future teammates on the Warriors.
The Lakers, on the other hand, waived four players: RJ Davis, Nate Williams, Augustus Marciulionis, and Anton Watson. Davis and Marciulionis were both undrafted players this season and were signed subsequently on July 26. Williams and Watson were added to the roster in free agency on September 27 to fulfill the roster requirements for the preseason.
RJ Davis averaged 8.6 points and 1.4 rebounds in the five appearances he had. Watson played in four preseason games, where he averaged 1.3 points, 1.3 rebounds, and 1.0 assists, while averaging slightly over eight minutes per game. Williams appeared in five preseason games in which he averaged 4.2 points and 2.2 rebounds, getting 16 minutes per night. Marciulonis did not make an appearance for the Lakers.
Before the final preseason game, JJ Redick confirmed that the same starting lineup that played against the Kings will also likely be the starters on Tuesday in their season opener against the Warriors, barring injury or unforeseen circumstances.
It will be the first time since LeBron James joined the Lakers in 2018-19 that the superstar veteran will not be available on opening night due to sciatica nerve damage. Nonetheless, we are merely days away from the regular season, and the fans should be hyped to see Stephen Curry’s Warriors collide with Luka Doncic’s Lakers on opening night.
