OAKLAND -- As expected, the Warriors on Tuesday exercised their option on the contract of Damian Jones, securing him for next season.
Coach Steve Kerr practically announced the decision last week, when he said Jones passed his early-season tests “with flying colors.”
This was a no-brainer, maybe the easiest agreement within the team’s front office since the signing of veteran big man David West to a one-year deal in 2016.
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SIGN UP HERE First of all, Jones, with a salary of $2.3 million next season, will be relatively cheap for a fourth-year player capable of starting.
Second, after two seasons developing mostly in the G-League, the 7-footer came into training camp and earned his way into the starting lineup of the defending champs.
Third, Jones is 23 years old and, therefore, still tapping into his potential.
Fourth, the Warriors are 7-1 with Jones as a starter. Eight games is enough to conclude he’s a worthwhile investment.
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Jones last week said that he heard nothing definitive about his future with the team beyond the current season but felt he’d made a decent case for the team to pick up the option.
“I think I’ve played OK,” he told NBC Sports Bay Area. “We’re winning. I’m just trying to do my part. Whatever they’re asking, that’s what I’m trying to do.”
Jones is averaging 6.0 points and 2.4 rebounds per game, and leads the team in blocks with 1.4 per game. Having emerged as a true lob threat, he’s shooting 77.8 percent from the field, mostly by dunking lobs from his teammates.
The Warriors had until Wednesday to exercise the option for another season. The soonest Jones can become a free agent is 2020, and he’d be restricted even then.
Selected in the first round (30th overall) of the 2016 draft, the Vanderbilt product has evolved into a much younger version of JaVale McGee. There are mistakes, but there also is a presence in the paint.
That’s something the Warriors will take in a heartbeat, particularly when there is room for growth.