Former champion eyeing NBA comeback after three-year hiatus

Dion Waiters. Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports

Former champion eyeing NBA comeback with Warriors after three-year hiatus

By Vinny Somma | Last updated 8/11/23

The Golden State Warriors are eyeing depth pieces ahead of the 2023-24 NBA season.

Over the next two weeks, Golden State will hold free-agent workouts with numerous veteran players, according to Shams Charania and Anthony Slater of The Athletic.

Dion Waiters, Tony Snell, Kent Bazemore, Juan Toscano-Anderson, Harry Giles and Trey Burke are among the players scheduled for workouts. Per Charania, the team plans to host "multiple rounds of workouts to identify signings."

Waiters, 31, is arguably the most eye-catching name of the bunch. A member of the Los Angeles Lakers championship squad in 2019-20, the former No. 4 overall pick is bidding for an NBA comeback after three years off.

Dion Waiters is on that comeback trail

(h/t @AhnFireDigital) pic.twitter.com/tqpQvPRRbd
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) January 27, 2022

"I honestly had to go through what I was going through the last couple of years by not playing," Waiters told Bleacher Report's Chris Haynes in July. "I feel like it made me a better person. It made me a better man and a better father because now I'm able to tell my son like, 'Yo bro, it's not just about talent, it's about your attitude, and what you're doing out there on the court is not going to work.'"

Over his eight seasons in the league, Waiters boasts a career scoring average of 13.1 PPG on 41.2% shooting. His most prolific season came during his sophomore campaign with the Cleveland Cavaliers, when he notched career highs in points (15.9) and field-goal percentage (43.3%).

Warriors could use a guy like Dion Waiters who not afraid of the moment pic.twitter.com/IJYrlduzGx
— Alex (@Dubs408) August 9, 2023

While Waiter's scoring chops might be enough to earn another crack in the NBA, landing a roster spot in Golden State would be a tall task. The Warriors are extremely deep in the backcourt.

Of the other players scheduled to workout out for the Warriors, both Bazemore and Toscano-Anderson have had previous stints with the franchise. The latter was a member of the Warriors championship squad in 2022.

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