Getty Eric Paschall celebrates a play during a Golden State Warriors game.
A former Golden State Warriors forward is joining the team that is looking to become a Western Conference contender.
Eric Paschall, who made the All-Rookie team in 2019-20 after the Warriors drafted him in the second round, has agreed to a two-way contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves. He will be reunited with former Warriors teammate D’Angelo Russell on a team that clinched the No. 7 seed in this year’s NBA Playoffs after winning the play-in game.
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Paschall Moves to Rival Team
Paschall will be joining a Timberwolves team that has made some big moves this offseason to become a Western Conference contender. They already traded for three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert, allowing him to pair with Karl-Anthony Towns to create one of the best frontcourt combinations in the league.
Paschall will have the chance to contribute as well. He appeared in 58 games last season, coming off the bench to score 5.8 points per game for the Utah Jazz. Paschall’s best season came in his rookie year, when he started 26 games for an injury-plagued Warriors team and averaged 14 points and 4.6 rebounds per game.
Prior to the signing with the Timberwolves, there had been rumors that Paschall was leaving the NBA. A report emerged claiming that Paschall was planning to play in Europe, but the 25-year-old forward took to Twitter to call it “fake news.”
Paschall helped to break the news of his move to Minnesota, taking to Twitter to post a gif of Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson doing the “Gritty.”
Warriors Flipped Paschall
The Warriors traded Paschall to the Jazz last offseason, allowing him to reunite with childhood friend and former youth basketball teammate Donovan Mitchell. The Warriors received a top-42 protected 2026 secound-round draft pick, via the Memphis Grizzlies.
As Drew Shiller of NBC Sports Bay Area noted, Paschall saw his role with the Warriors whittle in his second season. He missed 29 of the team’s final 32 games and saw no playing time in either of the team’s play-in tournament games.
Warriors general manager Bob Myers admitted that Paschall was a difficult fit for Paschall.
“We were trying to fit him into this style that we play,” Myers said in May 2021, before the trade. “Steve [Kerr] had him at the five, and then it became a glut there. And so trying to figure out how he could play the four was a challenge. And I think Steve would acknowledge that.
“So for Eric it’s about figuring out what Steve wants from him [and] what he can bring consistently. But it was so scattered — whether it was James [Wiseman] coming or going in the second unit … so it’s a hard one. There’s not an easy answer for it.”
The Warriors ultimately decided to move on from Paschall and free up the roster spot. While Wiseman wasn’t able to play last season as his rehab for an injured knee hit some roadblocks and stretched on longer than expected, the Warriors did make some key acquisitions in the frontcourt. They signed free agents Otto Porter Jr. and Nemanja Bjelica, who both played important roles in the rotation in the playoffs.
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Former Warriors Big Man Signs With Western Conference Team