Golden State Warriors Set To Waive Anderson Varejao, Sign Briante Weber

Although it’s not as dramatic as a move as the trade that happened a day earlier, the Golden State Warriors are adding a new young player in an attempt to improve the team’s roster.

The Golden State Warriors are not satisfied with good when great is an option. The franchise proved this by shedding Harrison Barnes and Andrew Bogut to sign Kevin Durant mere months after winning a record 73 games in the 2015-16 regular season.

The team’s most recent roster move is not so dramatic, but it does further show that the Warriors are not content, even though the team has been demolishing everybody standing in their way over the past months.

Human victory cigar Anderson Varejao is set to be released, as per The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski, to make way for Briante Weber. Weber most recently played with the Sioux Falls Skyforce and he’s been tearing it up in the D-League this season. He was recognized for his hot streak with D-League Player of the Month honors in January.

Weber currently leads all D-League players in steals per game, and he’s ranked fourth among them in assists as well. His complete line this season is 16.5 points, 7.4 rebounds, 7.2 assists and 3.0 steals per game on 45.1 percent field goal shooting and 36.1 percent three-point shooting.

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He won’t be a rookie when he gets his first game action with Golden State, as Weber played in seven games last season with the Memphis Grizzlies and Miami Heat. He struggled in his first year, potentially due to having to start four of those seven total games thanks to the Grizzlies literally running out of other options.

Weber won’t be starting games for the Warriors anytime soon, although it wouldn’t be a surprise to see head coach Steve Kerr give the 24-year-old point guard a shot to play.

Kerr loves letting essentially all of his rotation get involved in games from time to time. That tendency, in addition to many of Golden State’s games being effectively over by the third quarter (if not earlier) means Weber should get a chance to shine here.

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The Warriors are currently dealing with some injuries, most of them coming to the team’s big men. Zaza Pachulia, David West and Draymond Green all sat out of Golden State’s last game against the Los Angeles Clippers, although Kerr made up for their absence by playing JaVale McGee and Kevon Looney more, plus sliding Kevin Durant to the 4.

Shaun Livingston is the other Warrior dealing with an ailment, and it’s currently unclear if he’ll be able to suit up for the Dubs’ game against the Sacramento Kings on Saturday. Livingston is the only other listed point guard on the team in addition to Stephen Curry, although Ian Clark has played there and both Durant and Green can act as playmakers.

Weber provides a potentially nice backup option if Curry should need or want to sit out for a game, or even for a half. It’s a tremendous opportunity for the inexperienced point guard to prove himself on the NBA level — all eyes are on the Warriors this season.

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He’ll have 10 days at first to do so, with the potential for more opportunities afterwards depending on how his tenure begins. That gives Weber around four games in this first audition, depending on exactly when the 10-day deal is signed.