One realizes the competitive nature of the NBA when noticing how even a star player like Blake Hinson went unpicked during the 2024 draft. Despite this, the Los Angeles Lakers threw the player a lifeline and recruited him under a two-way free-agent contract. In the player’s own words, “Getting (born) is right up there with this one.” This moment of bliss ended up being short-lived, as the Lakers required an available roster spot to bring in center Christian Koloko to cover frontcourt depth. While the franchise ended up waiving Hinson, he wasn’t without a home for long!

According to reports, the Golden State Warriors have taken in the 24-year-old small forward under an Exhibit 10 contract. The terms of the deal allow Blake Hinson to compete for a two-way spot come training camp. If the Warriors choose to waive him before the start of the regular season, the contract will still save his G League rights. This, in turn, would allow him to play for the Santa Cruz Warriors, if not for Stephen Curry and co. The Warriors have no shortage of candidates who want to move up the main lineup, yet they still went out of their way to sign a new player. This only speaks well for Hinson, as he may have valuable factors that allow him to rise over the others.

Therefore, without any further ado, let’s look into why Stephen Curry and Co. may have wanted to make such a last-minute signing.

Why did the Golden State Warriors place their faith in Blake Hinson?

Ever since he was traded to them back in 2020, Andrew Wiggins stood out as a good small forward pick for the Golden State Warriors. He dominated during the 2022 NBA Finals and even earned All-Star honors the same year. Unfortunately, the two recent seasons have seen the player struggling in a big way. Due to personal issues, he made only 37 appearances during the 2022-23 tournament and had to even miss out on 4 additional games, under the same excuse, during the recent season. On top of that, his performance had seen a drop, with a report by Golden State of Mind claiming that he had been “hesitant to use his athleticism in any area of the game, and provided little on defense.” In light of this, the need is for a backup small forward in case the franchise cannot depend on Wiggins during crucial games. If Hinson’s past performances have shown anything, it is that he can certainly rise to the occasion.

At 6’6″ and with a wingspan of 6’10”, the new Warriors recruit’s build makes him an effective wing shooter and scorer. The same was seen during Hinson’s first two years at the University of Mississippi, where he averaged 9.1 points through 3.1-7.7 field goals, 1.5-4.6 three-pointers, and 1.5-2 free throws. The stats only improved once he transferred to the University of Pittsburgh. By averaging 15.3 points, 6 rebounds, and 1.2 assists during his first season there, he was named to the second team of the All-Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). By next season, he was in the first team after taking his average stats higher (18.5 points, and 4.4 rebounds). On top of that, the player also averaged 6.1-13.4 (45.4%) field goals, 3.3-7.9 (42.1%) three-pointers, and 2.9-4.4 (66.9%) free throws.

With such significant stats accompanying his name, the player was named as the 71st pick on the mock NBA Draft by ‘The Atheltic’ reporter Sam Vecenie. This foreshadowed the future, as 58 names were called during the 2024 draft, but Hinson’s wasn’t on the list. A major reason may have been the fact that he is 24, thereby leaving less time for him to develop in contrast to younger players. Furthermore, his college tenure showed that he is quite a one-dimensional player, with his playmaking and ball handling reportedly not being his strong suit.

Despite this, the Lakers gambled with the player, and it paid off for the brief period. While LeBron James’s son, Bronny, only went on to average 8.8 points for four games, Hinson was present for five games and averaged 11.4 points through 4-11.2 field goals, 2.6-7.8 three-pointers, and 0.8-1.2 free throws. Now, the Warriors wish to make use of this generational talent for themselves.

Can Blake Hinson adopt the same role as Klay Thompson? The 24-year-old certainly seems to think so

When discussing the reasons for any recent Warriors acquisitions, one may always have to consider the elephant in the room: Klay Thompson. For over 13 years, the shooting guard was to Stephen Curry what Scottie Pippen was to Michael Jordan. Along with being a reliable secondary lead scorer, Thompson also kept on par with his ‘Splash Brother’s three-point shooting, making 250+ far-away shots per campaign in over four seasons. Now, with the player having left the franchise and aligned with the Dallas Mavericks, questions have been raised on how to best replace him. While Buddy Heild, a recent veteran acquisition of the Warriors, is being touted as a potential replacement, even Blake Hinson can step up when needed.

Back in June, the 24-year-old may have had no idea that he would one day be picked up by the Warriors. Despite this, he considered Klay Thompson to be someone whose level he aspired to reach. During an interview with Ahn Fire Digital, he even went on to state “If I was to try to reach my ultimate ceiling, I feel like I could be like a Klay Thompson if I met my just utmost ceiling in this basketball stuff. I would love to affect the game like he does. The gravity of his shootin’ without many dribbles is somethin’ I feel like I could do.”

Thompson’s persona of a ‘3&D’ player (good three-point shooter and defender) can certainly be taken up by Hinson. However, while he has already shown his prowess from the shooting range, the player has himself stated that on defense, he isn’t as he wishes to be in order to keep up with average NBA players as a wing. Special emphasis on guards with an abundance of speed. However, Hinson’s defense during the Summer League matchup against the Chicago Bulls showed that there is room for improvement.

Do you believe that the Warriors’ faith in Blake Hinson can extend till the commencement of the regular season? Let us know in the comments down below.

Before you go, remember to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Silas Demary Jr.