When it comes to the array of moves the Golden State Warriors made this offseason, little attention is paid to their initial decision to trade for Lindy Waters III on draft day in June.

The Warriors did acquire Waters from the Oklahoma City Thunder, after sending cash to buy out the 52nd pick they initially gave up for the 27-year-old. In a deep Golden State rotation, Waters is expected to be on the outside looking in, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be a player to watch when training camp begins next month.

Since taking over as general manager last season, Mike Dunleavy Jr. has effectively utilized nearly every available position on the roster, almost to the team’s detriment given that it has left a myriad of rotation questions for Steve Kerr.

Looking back on this period 12 months ago, few would have expected Brandin Podziemski or Trayce Jackson-Davis to be big players in their first seasons. Not only did they quickly evolve into the role, but the duo began playing starting-level minutes by the second half of the season.

Waters could perhaps be a similar surprise, having been underrated by Dunleavy as a cheap, high-upside prospect. He’s a player whose opportunities were limited last season on a Thunder team that climbed to first place in the Western Conference but also proved far too good for the G League level.

Waters filled the scoreboard with averages of 21.8 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.8 steals and 0.9 blocks in his 10 G League games. The 6-foot-6 forward shot 48.6 percent from the field and 43.5 percent from three-point range on 8.5 attempts per game, while he had a net rating of +21.9 according to Real GM.

That’s not to say it’ll translate to the NBA level, but it’s at least worth a look to see what kind of player Waters could become. He shot 43.5 percent from beyond the arc in his 38 games with Oklahoma City last season, and has shot 37.7 percent in his three years in the league to date.

Waters may still be behind a number of players at winger heading into training camp, but perhaps we should be a little more intrigued by his potential rather than writing him off as just another depth piece at the end of the roster.

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