Former Sacramento Kings prospect Harry Giles III soon will have a chance to make an impression on the Warriors.
The 6-foot-11 center/power forward and first-round pick in the 2017 NBA Draft is set to work out for Golden State next week, his agent Daniel Hazen told SNY's Ian Begley.
While Giles already has worked out for the Orlando Magic and also has a workout with the New York Knicks scheduled, his size could make an impact on the Warriors as he looks to play for the first time since the 2020-21 NBA season.
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After being selected by the Portland Trail Blazers with the No. 20 overall pick in 2017, Giles' rights were traded to Sacramento on draft night. He played two seasons with the Kings and another with the Trail Blazers, averaging 5.9 points on 51.1-percent shooting from the field, 3.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 142 games.
Giles' two seasons with Sacramento were disrupted by injury and G League stints, and the 25-year-old remains eligible for a two-way contract as he attempts to make an NBA return.
The big man made waves online earlier this summer after a video of him working out in Las Vegas surfaced online, and Giles told FOX40's Sean Cunningham he's laser-focused on his future.
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"You have the thoughts in the back of your head. For me, it was more of my injury and I hate injuries from the past. And obviously, I had a couple of issues in the league as well, but nothing's as major as it was in the past," Giles said. "I'm 25 years old and I'm getting judged, it's just tough for me. I fight a battle every day sometimes. It's tough that the injury is the only thing that changed my career and is holding me back, that's got people questioning me. Especially at 25, any age. But at the same time, I want to play the game again.
"I know I love the game. I can't think about nothing but the game. I'd be lying to you if I said it didn't kind of drain me for a second. I think that [Los Angeles] Clippers thing, I had to just take some time to myself just to get myself together, get my mind straight, refresh my mind. Life hit me a little bit, too. So it was a lot going on to where I had to just take a sit back for a second and just figure out what I wanted to do and what I wanted to be and who am I.
"So I think this last year, I've been getting the spark back, I've been getting the fire back up under me. I'm confident. I'm healthy and I feel good again. But I just want them to leave here knowing, 'He looks good, he's ready, he's excited, he's confident and he's ready for another chance.' "
The Warriors have a pair of two-way spots remaining after re-signing Lester Quinones to a two-way contract last month. The team also has two full roster spots left, and Golden State certainly could use more sizeable depth on its bench.
If Giles impresses the Warriors in his workout and remains healthy, he could earn a chance to prove his worth with Golden State in the preseason, and, eventually, land a spot on the team.
