The Warriors surprised many Monday night. Not so much with their ugly 111-98 loss against the Sacramento Kings, but more so that they waived big man Marquese Chriss.
The move raised a few eyebrows, but the Warriors were in a tough spot. They didn't want to lose two-way player Damion Lee, whose 45 days of NBA service were running out, and now are looking to lock up the shooting guard past this season.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Tuesday that Lee and the Warriors are working to finalize a multi-year contract. The deal would include partial guarantees for future seasons.
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[RELATED: Outsider Observations: What Dubs' Lee-Chriss choice means]
Lee, 27, is averaging a career-high 12.3 points over 26.4 minutes per game. He also is averaging career highs in rebounds (5.3) and assists (2.2) while shooting 36.8 percent from 3-point range.
While Chriss is younger at 22 years old, the Warriors prioritized keeping a sharpshooter like Lee on their roster for the foreseeable future.