Bad news for Randolph: Warriors sign Jermareo Davidson, cut DeMarcus Nelson

January 5, 10:17 AMGolden State Warriors ExaminerMatt Steinmetz

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The Warriors just announced that they signed Jermareo Davidson of the D-League to a 10-day contract, and waived point guard DeMarcus Nelson.

The same DeMarcus Nelson that coach Don Nelson had in the Warriors' starting lineup on opening night.

Ordinarily, there wouldn’t be a lot of meaning in the call-up of a D-Leaguer but in this case there’s plenty of it, and then some. And we’re not even considering the possibly DeMarcus Nelson’s pro career might be over.

The biggest loser in all of this is Anthony Randolph. How can he not be?

Davidson is 6-foot-10, is athletic and is a pretty good rebounder and shot-blocker. In other words, just like Randolph. The other day, Warriors coach Don Nelson said he was putting Randolph on ice … more like the meat locker now that Davidson is on his way.

It’s going to be interesting to see what Nelson does with Davidson. At this point, it seems more likely than not that Davidson will move ahead of Randolph in the rotation. You know Nelson is going to give Davidson an opportunity. Why else call him up?

The other player who misses out in this whole deal is Marcus Williams, whose non-Warriors career continues. It’s obvious Williams is not in Nelson’s plans and yet he’ll continue to occupy a roster spot. Kind of strange when you consider Nelson has no use for Williams and yet has spoken highly of DeMarcus Nelson from Day 1.

The Warriors seem committed to trying to trade Williams rather than buy him out or waive him.

As for waiving DeMarcus Nelson, that move seems to make coach Don Nelson either open-minded or forgetful. Two weeks ago, coach Don Nelson said he thought DeMarcus Nelson was an NBA player, but that the jury was still out on Richard Hendrix _ since waived.

DeMarcus Nelson was the Warriors’ opening night starter at point guard, then was eventually sent to Bakersfield of the D-League. He was called up in mid-December, and has been on the Warriors’ roster since.

Here’s another thing … OK, so the Warriors drafted Richard Hendrix in the second round, gave him a guaranteed contract and sent him to the D-League. By all accounts, Hendrix played relatively well in the D-League, but the Warriors ended up waiving him.

Hendrix never got into a game for the Warriors. And they’ll be paying him some money next season, by the way, because he's partially guaranteed for 2009-10.

Now, they sign Jermareo Davidson to a 10-day contract and will likely give him a shot right away. He played 38 games for Charlotte last year … eight minutes a game, three points and a rebound-and-a-half. Nothing discernible.

If Davidson's name seems familiar, it is. The Warriors drafted him in 2007, and traded him to Charlotte as part of the Jason Richardson-Brandan Wright trade.

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