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

The Golden State Warriors have made some changes to their roster after a preseason loss to the San Antonio Spurs. According to sources, the team has decided to release veteran forward Rudy Gay and guard Rodney McGruder, trimming the roster down to 16 players. This move comes right before the start of the 2023-24 NBA season, with the Warriors’ opener against the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday.

Shams Charania from The Athletic broke the news on Twitter, stating that the Warriors are now down to 13 players with standard contracts, allowing them more flexibility. The team plans to add a 14th player to the roster within the first two weeks of the season.

Rudy Gay, who signed a one-year, $3.1 million contract with the Warriors this offseason, brought experience and leadership to the team. Young players like Jonathan Kuminga looked up to him during training camp and the preseason. However, Gay saw limited action in the preseason, playing only a few minutes in the team’s wins against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Similarly, Rodney McGruder also had a limited role during the preseason due to a concussion. He signed a one-year, $2.7 million contract with the Warriors but got a chance to play 20 minutes in the team’s loss to the Spurs, contributing eight points and five rebounds.

With the roster mostly set, Warriors’ general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. and coach Steve Kerr have the option to make additional moves if necessary.

This article was originally published on NBC Sports Bay Area.