Golden State Warriors held interest in former Grizzlies big man

The 26-year-old hasn’t played in over two years

More shooting in the front court has been an obvious need for the Golden State Warriors this offseason, with that element a key reason behind their current pursuit of Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen.

But the Warriors could have also filled the void with a cheaper option on the bottom-end of the roster, having reportedly held interest in forgotten former Memphis Grizzlies big man Killian Tillie.

The Golden State Warriors considered a lifeline to Killian Tillie who hasn’t played in an NBA game since March 2022

Tillie played 54 games across two seasons with the Grizzlies, having averaged 3.2 points in 11.9 minutes per game. But after a back injury wiped out the final portion of his 2021-22 campaign, Tillie was waived by Memphis ahead of the following season and hasn’t been seen at NBA level since.

After regaining full health, the 26-year-old is now eyeing an NBA return, starting his progress by playing for the Boston Celtics during the recently completed Summer League. Tillie averaged 8.4 points, 3.8 rebounds and a block in 17.2 minutes, shooting an impressive 41.2% from beyond the arc on 3.4 attempts per game.

In a recent interview with Theo Lawson of The Spokesman Review, it was revealed that “the 6-foot-9 forward had a number of feelers, with strong interest coming from the Golden State Warriors and Philadelphia 76ers in particular.”

It sounds like that interest may have come pre-Summer League, particularly given Golden State have since filled their roster with 14 fully-contracted players and a trio on two-way contracts. That leaves little in the way of financial capacity and roster spots, though Tillie could re-emerge as an option should that change.

The Frenchman proved an efficient three-point shooter for his size over four college years at Gonzaga, having drilled 44.4% of his 2.2 attempts from beyond the arc. That didn’t quite translate in his stint with the Grizzlies where he shot 31.1% on the same average attempts.

Markkanen would be the ideal solution to the Warriors need for front court shooting, but they have also addressed it to an extent by drafting Dutch big man Quinten Post with the 52nd overall pick. The seven-footer shot 42.6% and 43.1% over his final two seasons at Boston College.