Golden State Warriors Reportedly Had Interest in Former Grizzlies Bench Player

The Golden State Warriors reportedly had interest in a former Memphis Grizzlies player
Dec 9, 2021; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) drives to the basket as Memphis Grizzles forward Killian Tillie (35) and Memphis Grizzles forward Xavier Tillman Sr. (2) defend during the first half at FedExForum.
Dec 9, 2021; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) drives to the basket as Memphis Grizzles forward Killian Tillie (35) and Memphis Grizzles forward Xavier Tillman Sr. (2) defend during the first half at FedExForum. / Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

In a recent report from Theo Lawson of The Spokesman, it was revealed that the Golden State Warriors previously had interest in former Memphis Grizzlies reserve Killian Tillie.

"Tillie returned to Spokane, rehabbed, recovered and ramped up for training camp workouts in the late spring/early summer with hopes he’d latch on with another NBA team," Lawson wrote. "The 6-foot-9 forward had a number of feelers, with strong interest coming from the Golden State Warriors and Philadelphia 76ers in particular."

This came after Tillie was waived by the Grizzlies in 2022, but before the former Gonzaga forward could finalize a new opportunity at the NBA level, he suffered an injury setback.

"Tillie’s comeback was nearly complete when he endured another untimely setback, injuring his ankle during a free agent workout," Lawson wrote.

Memphis Grizzlies center Killian Tillie
Jan 26, 2022; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Memphis Grizzlies center Killian Tillie (35) warms up before the game against the San Antonio Spurs at AT&T Center. / Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports

This timeline is important, because the report from Lawson has been poorly aggregated online, with big accounts reporting the interest from Golden State to be recent, when it was in fact two years ago.

In 54 NBA games with the Grizzlies, Tillie averaged 3.2 points per game in 11.9 minutes per game. Starting just four games, Tillie was primarily a bench player for Memphis. Last appearing in an NBA game during the 2021-22 season, Tillie has been out of the league for a couple years, but is still just 26 years old.

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Joey Linn
JOEY LINN

Title: Credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation Email: joeylinn52@gmail.com Education: Communication Studies degree from Biola University Location: Los Angeles, California Expertise: NBA analysis and reporting Experience: Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined Sports Illustrated's FanNation to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams during his time in school. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts, combined with his excellence in the classroom, earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time across multiple platforms, primarily serving as a credentialed Clippers beat writer.