Could Marcus Derrickson snag a roster spot?

Earlier this offseason, the Warriors were planning on having fourteen players on the roster, leaving one spot open for a possible addition later in the season. But with Patrick McCaw’s holdout, there seems to be one more spot open than previously thought. If McCaw is not on the roster by opening day, I’d expect one of the Warriors’ training camp tryouts to make the final roster.

Because of the lack of wing depth, it seems pretty likely that the last addition to the roster would be a wing. The Warriors have a bunch of them in camp, including Marcus Derrickson, Danuel House, Damion Lee, Alfonso McKinnie, and Kendrick Nunn. All younger prospects with minimal NBA experience, capturing a roster spot on the defending champions would be a huge step in each of their careers.

In the two preseason games so far, Marcus Derrickson has led all of these wings in minutes played, even starting the game against the Kings. If playing time is any indication, it seems Derrickson is the favorite to make the team. He’s shown decent rebounding, good shooting, and physical play so far.

The first thing that stands out about Marcus Derrickson is his jacked frame: he’s only 6-7, but he’s 250 pounds, and most of it muscle. He isn’t the quickest athlete, but his strength absolutely shows on film. His NBA position is probably at the 4, not the 3, though I do think he’ll spend decent time at both positions if he makes the roster. Offensively, he doesn’t do much other than spot up from long range, but he does it well, shooting 46.5% from three in college. His future development depends on the auxiliary offensive skills he can develop and whether or not his foot speed and agility are good enough to defend the perimeter in the NBA.

Derrickson profiles as a role player, and the Warriors are looking for young players like him who can complement their stars. If McCaw does not sign with the Warriors, I think Derrickson would be a solid addition to the regular season roster.