Damion Lee remains out, likely to have contract finalized on Wednesday

Golden State Warriors shooting guard Damion Lee will miss tonight’s game against the Dallas Mavericks. It’s his second straight game missed.

Unlike most player absences, Lee isn’t dealing with an injury, or anything impacting his ability to play. He’s simply out of days remaining on his two-way contract, and the team has yet to finalize a multi-year guaranteed deal for him. Until he receives his contract, he’s not allowed to suit up.

Lee and the Warriors have been working on guaranteeing his contract for about a week, ever since the team waived Marquese Chriss to open up the requisite cap space. The sharpshooter has played twice since then - on Wednesday vs. the Milwaukee Bucks, and on Friday vs. the Los Angeles Clippers - but those represented his final days of two-way eligibility. Since then, he’s been unable to play or practice.

It’s unclear if the delay in signing a guaranteed contract is due to the two sides still hammering out final details, or Golden State simply wanting to get a few extra dollars under the cap by holding off on the signing for a few extra days, though it’s likely the latter.

Either way, the deadline to sign new two-way contracts is on Wednesday, which means Lee needs to be converted by then if the team wishes to replace the vacant two-way spot that he’ll leave behind.

Lee has had a strong year for the Warriors, and has played his way into the team’s long-term plans. In 26 games - including 13 starts - he’s averaging 12.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game, while shooting 36.0% from beyond the arc.