DENVER — Warriors center Damian Jones is navigating a peculiar reality in his second NBA season: Though on a guaranteed contract with Golden State, he has barely been with the big club all season.
Jones was recalled this week from the team’s G League affiliate in Santa Cruz to get in some practice, add frontcourt depth and, perhaps most importantly, feel connected to his NBA teammates. After playing one minute in Friday night’s win in Sacramento, he flew to Denver with Golden State because backup center David West went to attend the funeral of his late friend and former teammate Rasual Butler, who was killed Wednesday in a car crash in Los Angeles.