Warriors release Rudy Gay, Rodney McGruder; trim roster to 16

Warriors release Rudy Gay, Rodney McGruder; trim roster to 16 originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Warriors made a pair of roster moves following the 122-117 loss to the San Antonio Spurs in the preseason finale.

The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported Friday evening, citing sources, that Golden State is releasing veteran forward Rudy Gay and guard Rodney McGruder, trimming the roster to 16 players ahead of the 2023-24 NBA season opener against the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday. The Warriors made the move official shortly after.

As Charania reports, the Warriors are planning to add a 14th player to fill out the 15-man roster at some point early on in the season but will begin the campaign with 13 players on the roster.

Gay signed a one-year, $3.1 million contract with the Warriors this offseason and was a veteran presence alongside Chris Paul whom youngsters like Jonathan Kuminga gravitated toward early on throughout training camp and the preseason.

The 17-year NBA veteran did not play much during the preseason, logging six and eight minutes respectively in both of Golden State’s preseason wins over the Los Angeles Lakers.

McGruder also did not play much during the preseason due to a concussion after signing a one-year, $2.7 million contract this offseason, but did log 20 minutes in the Warriors’ loss to the Spurs on Friday, scoring eight points and collecting five rebounds on 3-of-9 shooting from the field and 1 of 6 from 3-point range.

With the Warriors’ roster just about set — for now — general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. and coach Steve Kerr have the flexibility to make a move or two if needed.

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