Alen Smailagić

After being released by the Warriors earlier this week, Alen Smailagic has wasted no time securing a new deal overseas. Serbian club KK Partizan announced in a press release on Friday that Smailagic is signing a three-year contract with the team. It’ll be a homecoming for the young forward/center, as he was born and raised in Belgrade.

Alen Smailagic spent much of his free time the past two seasons watching YouTube highlights of fellow Serbian big man Nemanja Bjelica. Logic might suggest that NBA MVP Nikola Jokic would be a better countryman for Smailagic, 20, to study than Bjelica — a role player with career averages of 7.9 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game. But the Warriors wanted to develop Smailagic into a floor-spacing power forward, and Bjelica has been one of the league’s best pick-and-pop big men.

The Warriors officially waived Smailagic on Wednesday. Smailagic appeared in just 29 games over the last two seasons with the Warriors due to numerous injuries. The 6-foot-10 forward is only 20 years old and may draw interest as a developmental prospect from other teams around the league. However, it appears that his time in the NBA is done for now.

Entering the offseason, the Golden State Warriors figured to make a splash, signing a star to go alongside Steph Curry and Draymond Green in hopes of rekindling the championship atmosphere surrounding the team. Majority owner Joe Lacob informed The Athletic's Antony Slater that most likely will not be the case,...

The Warriors plan to waive forward Alen Smailagic before his 2021-22 contract becomes guaranteed Friday, a league source confirmed with The Chronicle. This comes as no surprise, given that Smailagic struggled to prove he’s an NBA-caliber player during his two seasons with Golden State. The No. 39 pick in the 2019 draft, he totaled a combined 223 minutes in 2019-20 and 2020-21, spending far more time on the floor with the Santa Cruz Warriors than the big club.

The Warriors plan to waive Smailagic before Friday, when his $1.78 million salary for 2021-22 becomes fully guaranteed, Anthony Slater of The Athletic reports. Golden State has spent the better part of three years investing in Smailagic's development. The 6-foot-10, 215-pound big man suited up for the Warriors' G League affiliate in 2018-19 before being selected by the Pelicans in the second round of the 2019 NBA Draft, only for Golden State to fork up two future second-round picks to acquire his rights. Ultimately, the Warriors' patience with Smailagic didn't pay off, as he appeared in only 29 games across his two NBA seasons while missing considerable time due to injury. Since he won't turn 21 years old until later this month, Smailagic is far from a finished product, so it wouldn't be surprising if another team invested a back-end roster spot in him in 2021-22.

Warriors forward Alen Smailagic was selected with the No. 39 pick of the 2019 NBA draft as a long-term project, but even projects must show progress. Two years after Golden State traded up in that draft to take him, Smailagic, 20, still looks overwhelmed at times in the G League — much less in the NBA. And it might not matter that injuries have interrupted his development. As the Warriors evaluate each roster spot in hopes of vaulting back into contention, they could have a tough time justifying keeping Smailagic.

Golden State Warriors | 2-pointer by Alen Smailagic.

Smailagic added one assist in one minute of action during Thursday's win over Cleveland. Smailagic made a second straight appearance despite being a non-factor. The forward totaled four points, three rebounds and two blocks in nine minutes of action during Wednesday's win over the Thunder. In seven games played this year, Smailagic has totaled 15 points and six rebounds.

Smailagic will come off the bench Tuesday against the 76ers, Nick Friedell of ESPN.com reports. With James Wiseman (COVID-19 protocols) returning to the starting five, Smailagic will return to his usual role as a bench player. That said, there's not a guarantee that he'll crack the rotation with Wiseman back.

Smailagic (coach's decision) didn't play Tuesday in the Warriors' 108-98 loss to the 76ers. The Warriors returned three big men (James Wiseman, Kevon Looney and Eric Paschall) from the NBA's health and safety protocol Tuesday, so Smailagic predictably fell out of head coach Steve Kerr's rotation. Even when all three big men were missing in the Warriors' previous game Saturday against Memphis, Smailagic only received eight minutes while acting as a placeholder as the team's starting center.

With James Wiseman and Kevon Looney both in the NBA’s health and safety protocols, Alen Smailagic will start at center Saturday night against the Grizzlies at FedEx Forum. This will be Smailagic’s first career start. He has totaled 144 minutes in more than 1½ seasons, including just five minutes this season. Saturday marks a big opportunity for Smailagic, who, despite being 20, has his NBA career on life support.

Smailagic will start Saturday's game against the Grizzlies, Connor Letourneau of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. With Kevon Looney, Eric Paschall and James Wiseman all out due to health and safety protocols, coach Steve Kerr will give Smailagic the nod at center. The game will be just Smailagic's third appearance this season. Per 36 minutes for his career, the second-year big man has averaged 15.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.0 blocks.

The Golden State Warriors announced on Thursday that they had recalled forward/center Alen Smailagić from their G League affiliate, the Santa Cruz Warriors. Smailagić had surgery on a torn meniscus earlier in the season, so this marks the first time all year that he’ll be with Golden State while healthy.

Smailagic posted 17 points (6-9 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 3-3 FT), eight rebounds and three assists across 29 minutes in Tuesday's 108-96 playoff loss to G League Lakeland. Smailagic bumped into a starting role for the final few games of the season, including the playoffs, but he averaged just 17 minutes per game overall. The 20-year-old proved to be a solid shooter, connecting on 51.7 percent of his field goals and averaging 7.5 points.

Warriors forward Alen Smailagic is expected to make his season debut Wednesday afternoon in the G League bubble, a league source confirmed with The Chronicle. Smailagic, 20, has spent the past six weeks recovering from surgery to repair a right meniscal tear. After sitting out the Santa Cruz Warriors’ first four games at the G League Bubble in Orlando, he was cleared to return Wednesday against the Canton Charge.

Smailagic posted 19 points (7-9 FG, 1-1 3Pt, 2-3 FT) and four rebounds across 17 minutes in Wednesday's 111-108 win over G League Canton. Smailagic started at center in his G League season debut. Although his minutes were limited, the 2019 second-round pick impressed with his efficiency to finish third on the team in scoring.

The Warriors are without a true center, but they still won’t make big man Alen Smailagic active with the NBA club. Smailagic is expected to join Golden State’s G League affiliate, the Santa Cruz Warriors, later this week at the G League bubble in Orlando. Given that Smailagic is coming back from a knee injury and has yet to play at any level this season, the Warriors wouldn’t feel comfortable playing him in an NBA game — even though they could benefit from his size.