Warriors land Kyle Anderson, the perfect Steve Kerr role player: Contract details, grade

The Golden State Warriors' offseason finally took a turn in the right direction on Tuesday. After letting Klay Thompson leave for the Dallas Mavericks, the Dubs have acquired Kyle Anderson on a three-year, $27 million contract via sign-and-trade from the Minnesota Timberwolves, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Nicknamed 'Slo Mo' for his uniquely deliberate play style, Anderson spent the last two years in Minnesota. He was a key element of Chris Finch's second unit last season, averaging 6.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 4.2 assists on .460/.229/.708 splits in 22.6 minutes.

Those numbers don't look great on the surface, but Anderson impacts winning beyond the box score. His basketball instincts are razor-sharp. Reliable at multiple positions defensively and geared toward connecting dots as a screener, passer, and general utilityman, Anderson should find a comfortable home in Steve Kerr's system.

His arrival is also a (slight) consolation for Golden State fans upset by Thompson's unceremonious departure. Anderson's contract was absorbed into the traded player exception (TPE) created by the Thompson sign-and-trade. So, in essence, Anderson is the Warriors' return from that fateful swap with Dallas.

Warriors add Kyle Anderson to second unit via sign-and-trade with Timberwolves

This is the perfect basketball ecosystem for Anderson's skill set. Quietly, the Dubs have gotten better with a couple under-the-radar free agent moves. Maybe not better enough given the state of the Western Conference, but it's fair to call De'Anthony Melton an upgrade over present-day Klay Thompson. At least for Golden State's purposes. Anderson, meanwhile, fortifies the second unit in a big way.

The Dubs don't have a ton of great wing defenders outside of Draymond Green, at times their starting center, and Andrew Wiggins. Brandin Podziemski is a great help-side playmaker on that end, but Anderson has versatility at 6-foot-9 and a real knack for stifling drives with his strength. He's not the quickest, as his nickname suggests, but Anderson slides his feet well enough in space and he's never out of position.

Some will point to his limited 3-point numbers as a concern offensively, but Anderson's processing speed and connective traits are bound to flourish in Golden State. He's great at picking defenses apart as a short roll passer. He is going love Kerr's motion offense, setting backdoor screens for Steph, always cutting into open space, and earning a steady stream of easy at-rim finishes for his efforts.

Anderson does the little stuff at the highest level. He cuts hard, he screens well, he operates with total selflessness. He's a stupendous passer for his position, whether he's reading and reacting from the top of the key or driving the lane and locating an open shooter. He's not a jumbo point guard in the Draymond sense, but Anderson can exploit fissures in the defense and sling pinpoint passes on the move. Give him an angle to the rim or clear sightlines, and Anderson is going to hit defensive pressure points and make the right decision.

He's a classic lunch-pail role player. Unsexy but effective, without needless noise or eclipsing ego. Anderson will show up for work, do what's asked of him, and go home. There are valid concerns about defensive agility as he ages — Anderson struggled in the Wolves' WCF matchup with Dallas — but generally, expect Anderson to supply consistent two-way value for the duration of his contract.

Grade: B