Lindy Waters III’s brief run with the Golden State Warriors produced more memorable moments than his modest numbers might suggest.
Now, the 29-year-old guard is headed overseas.
Waters has signed with the Beijing Ducks of the Chinese Basketball Association for the 2026-27 season, the club announced Monday. Beijing said Waters will wear No. 43 once the CBA formally approves the signing.
The move comes after Waters spent last season with the San Antonio Spurs, where his role shrank considerably. He averaged 2.4 points, 0.7 rebounds and 0.5 assists in 7.1 minutes across 40 games, then appeared sparingly in nine playoff games.
But Bay Area fans may remember Waters best for a handful of flashes during his lone season with Golden State.
Lindy Waters III Gave Warriors an Early Spark
The Warriors acquired Waters from Oklahoma City during the 2024 NBA Draft, sending out the No. 52 pick in a multi-team deal.
He quickly made an impression.
In Golden State’s 2024 preseason opener against the Clippers in Honolulu, Waters buried a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to give the Warriors a 91-90 victory. He finished with 15 points and five made 3s, delivering one of the team’s most memorable preseason moments of that fall.
His best regular-season performance came less than a month later.
With Stephen Curry sidelined against New Orleans on Oct. 30, Waters erupted for 21 points and three 3-pointers in a 124-106 Warriors win.
“The game flows when he’s out there,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said at the time. “It’s not just because he’s a good shooter, he’s a good basketball player. It’s the shots that he doesn’t take because of his patience, it’s the cuts that he makes to the basket, it’s getting into the fight defensively. From day one of camp, this guy has been one of our best players, frankly. He’s going to make his case for more playing time.”
He eventually earned nine starts for Golden State and averaged 5.5 points and 2.5 rebounds in 38 games, shooting 33.1% from 3-point range.
There were other brief flashes. Waters scored 13 points against Brooklyn in November and started during a stretch when Golden State was searching for perimeter depth after De’Anthony Melton’s season-ending knee injury. He also scored 10 points in a 120-97 win over Atlanta while filling a larger role.
Waters Was Part of Jimmy Butler Blockbuster
Waters’ Warriors tenure ended at the 2025 trade deadline.
Golden State sent him to Detroit as part of the sprawling multi-team trade that brought Jimmy Butler to the Warriors. Waters and Dennis Schröder landed in Detroit as part of the deal.
He finished that season in Detroit before signing a one-year minimum deal with San Antonio in July 2025.
Across five NBA seasons with Oklahoma City, Golden State, Detroit and San Antonio, Waters appeared in 196 regular-season games, averaging 4.6 points and shooting 36.3% from 3-point range.
Now comes a different opportunity.
Beijing went 29-13 last season and reached the CBA semifinals before falling short of the championship round. The Ducks have not won the league title since 2015, giving Waters a chance to step into a larger role for a club with championship ambitions.
His Golden State stay lasted only part of one season.
But between the Honolulu buzzer-beater, the 21-point breakout against New Orleans and his eventual inclusion in the Butler trade, Waters left behind several snapshots Warriors fans are unlikely to forget.
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