Anthony Lamb signs standard contract

ATLANTA — The depleted Warriors have decided to go ahead with filling their final spot Thursday night, converting forward Anthony Lamb to a standard NBA contract, a source confirmed Thursday night.

Lamb is expected to be available Friday in Atlanta for a game where the Warriors are in desperate need of bodies. Golden State is down to just nine available players after Draymond Green was suspended one game without pay after picking up his 16th technical foul of the season in Wednesday’s loss to the Clippers.

The Warriors are also without Andrew Wiggins, who remains on the sidelines on family matters; Gary Payton II, who is on the mend after a central injury sidelined him for more than a month; and Andre Iguodala, who needs what could be season-ending surgery on his broken wrist.

Lamb has emerged as a regular member of manager Steve Kerr’s rotation this season, but due to limitations with the two-way deal, he’s only been able to play in 50 NBA games — his 50th game came on March 5 against the Lakers. Lamb averaged seven points and 3.4 rebounds in 20.1 minutes while shooting 47.5% from the field and 37.9% from 3-point range.

Kerr had recently campaigned for Lamb to fill the team’s 15th spot. He praised Lamb’s versatility, as well as his ability to space the ground and drop timely 3-pointers.

“He plays an important role for us because he connects a lot of lineups,” Kerr said more than a week ago. “He plays the way we always play Point Five basketball, makes a quick decision, drives, passes, shoots. And then he’s big and versatile enough to hold multiple spots.

“When we play big twos, we can have him at three or you can play him at four. So he has been really helpful for us this year.”

Lamb was involved in controversy earlier this season. He was accused of sexually assaulting a colleague in 2019 in a lawsuit, filed in December, alleging that the University of Vermont violated Title IX by mishandling sexual harassment proceedings and campus violence.

Lamb, 24, has not been charged with any crime and was not named as a defendant in the recent lawsuit. He denied the accusations. Meanwhile, the Warriors said they’ve done due diligence in reaching out to the league and Lamb’s past teams.

In another move, Golden State plans to sign G League point guard and former University of Memphis player Lester Quinones in a two-way deal, according to a league source.

Quinones is averaging 21.4 points, 7.2 rebounds and 4.7 assists in 26 games with the Warriors’ G League team in Santa Cruz this season.

With a full roster of 15 players, Quinones is eligible to play the last 12 games with Golden State but is expected to remain in Santa Cruz for the week. Ty Jerome, who appeared in 47 NBA games on a two-way deal, could appear in three more games. Neither is postseason eligible, however.