Advertisement

Warriors sign Kavion Pippen, Scottie's nephew, to bolster frontcourt depth

With a rash of frontcourt injuries, the Golden State Warriors are adding a familiar name to supply depth down low: Kavion Pippen.

An undrafted rookie out of Southern Illinois, Pippen is the nephew of Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen.

Pippen, a 6-foot-10 center, played two seasons at Three Rivers (Mo.) Community College before transferring to Southern Illinois for his final two seasons of eligibility. He eclipsed 12 points per game in both seasons and added 5.6 rebounds and 2.0 blocks last fall.

Pippen’s deal is non-guaranteed, but he could have an outside shot to crack the team on a two-way contract if injuries persist. The Warriors have only one player — Willie Cauley-Stein — on their roster who is taller than him.

Signing Pippen became necessary since Cauley-Stein remains sidelined with a left foot injury and will miss all of training camp, if not the start of the regular season. Meanwhile, Kevon Looney has been banged up all summer and is now out with a hamstring injury, while second-rounder Alen Smailagic is out for the “foreseeable future” with an ankle injury.

Pippen had to beat out another famous name to make the Warriors training camp. Just days earlier, the team hosted former No. 2 overall draft pick Hasheem Thabeet for a workout, but they reportedly wanted a big man with more range.

The Warriors have four more preseason games before their regular-season slate kicks off on Oct. 24 at the brand new Chase Center against the Los Angeles Clippers.

TERRE HAUTE, IN - FEBRUARY 17: Southern Illinois Salukis center Kavion Pippen (33) boxes out Indiana State Sycamores guard Brenton Scott (4) during the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) college basketball game between the Southern Illinois Salukis and the Indiana State Sycamores on February 17, 2018, at the Hulman Center in Terre Haute, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The Warriors signed former Southern Illinois Salukis center Kavion Pippen, who is the nephew of Hall of Famer Scottie. (Michael Allio/Getty Images)

More from Yahoo Sports: