BANG: Warriors to convert Lester Quinones’ two-way contract: report

[Allen]

Warriors to convert Lester Quinones’ two-way contract: report
Quinones earned a regular role before the All-Star break

>Golden State Warriors’ Lester Quinones #25 passes as he’s guarded by
New Orleans Pelicans’ Cody Zeller #40 in the fourth quarter of their NBA
game at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, Jan.
10, 2024. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)

Danny Emerman is a Bay Area News Group sports reporter
By DANNY EMERMAN | deme...@bayareanewsgroup.com | Bay Area News Group
PUBLISHED: February 20, 2024 at 5:00 p.m. | UPDATED: February 20, 2024
at 5:00 p.m.
https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2024/02/20/warriors-to-convert-lester-quinones-two-way-contract-report/


The Warriors are expected to convert Lester Quinones to a standard NBA
contract, allowing the team to play the wing without worrying about a
games played limitation.

Quinones, 23, was the 2023 Most Improved Player in the G League. In the
weeks leading up to the All-Star break, he’d earned a regular role in
Golden State’s rotation, surpassing Moses Moody in the pecking order
while on a two-way deal.

In nine February games, Quinones is averaging 7.1 points in 19.6 minutes
per game. The 6-foot-5 shooting guard rebounds well for his size and has
shot 39.6% on 3s this year.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported the Warriors’ intention to convert
his contract, citing Quinones’ agents.

Players on a two-way contracts are permitted to be active for 50 regular
season games. Quinones has played in 19 games and has been active for 28
overall, meaning a standard deal will remove any stress on whether or
not he can suit up.

Quinones went undrafted out of Memphis in 20222 but latched on with the
Warriors organization on a two-way deal. The Warriors waived him in
October of that year, but he quickly signed with the G League Santa Cruz
Warriors team. He made his NBA debut last spring and has proven himself
as an NBA-caliber player this year.

The details of Quinones’ contract weren’t immediately clear and the team
hasn’t made an official announcement. According to ESPN salary cap
expert and former front office executive Bobby Marks, the Warriors have
until Feb. 22 to sign a player to their 14th roster spot vacated by the
Cory Joseph trade. Golden State can back-fill Quinones’ two-way slot
until the March 4 deadline.