Golden State Warriors: Analyzing the decision to waive Alfonzo McKinnie

The Golden State Warriors have waived small forward Alfonzo McKinnie ahead of the start of the regular season. What does this mean for the team going forward?

The Golden State Warriors were experiencing quite the roster crunch this October and it appears as though they’ve made their final decisions following the release of Alfonzo McKinnie.

Sometimes basketball just isn’t fair. And for a player with a story as long and arduous as McKinnie’s, “fairness” has never been something to rely on.

Unfortunately, McKinnie was a victim of the numbers game this fall and it appears as though it cost him his roster spot. After surprisingly making the team out of training camp last season, McKinnie slowly made his way into the regular rotation.

And by the end of the season, he was playing meaningful minutes in Game 6 of the NBA Finals. The 27-year-old was given an even bigger opportunity when he was penciled in as the starting small forward entering camp this season.

Unfortunately, the Warriors’ financial tie-up left McKinnie fighting for a roster spot on top of his starting job.

Following the sign-and-trade for D’Angelo Russell in the offseason, the Warriors found themselves hard-capped meaning that they could not sign any more free agents without first clearing cap space.

And since McKinnie was the only player on the roster signed to a non-guaranteed contract, that sadly left him expendable.

A mediocre preseason certainly didn’t help his case and neither did the emergence of former top-10 draft pick Marquese Chriss. Chriss was signed to a training camp contract last month with the hope that he could fight his way on to the roster.

But Chriss wasn’t just any typical training camp invite. The former Washington standout was selected eight overall in the 2016 NBA Draft but was swiftly cast aside by the Phoenix Suns after two lackluster seasons.

Questions regarding his work ethic arose and the 6-foot-10 big man simply never developed with the Suns — not that Phoenix is a young player’s dream environment.

And after bouncing around last season with the Houston Rockets and Cleveland Cavaliers, Chriss looked to catch on with a Warriors team that would be sure to provide him with a better developmental environment.

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It didn’t take long for the 22-year-old big man to impress flashing his athleticism and offensive potential in the process. And now, it appears as though he’s secured a roster spot, at least according to reports.

There was initially speculation that the Warriors could attempt to convert Chriss’ contract into a two-way deal but the fear was that he would receive better offers from other organizations following his impressive preseason and training camp.

As such, the Warriors simply decided it was best to cut McKinnie.

Golden State will now rely on players like Glenn Robinson III, Alec Burks, and rookie Eric Paschall to play the small forward position until Klay Thompson returns from injury. The star shooting guard is widely expected to play at the three upon his return following the addition of the aforementioned Russell.