Georges Niang (PF, 6'7") was drafted #50 overall by the Indiana Pacers in 2016. Currently with the Golden State Warriors · 2026–present.
Indiana Pacers · 2016–2017
Draft — June 23, 2016 — drafted #50 overall by Indiana out of Iowa State. Signed a 3-year, $2.5M rookie deal; waived July 14, 2017. Brief Golden State training-camp stop (signed Aug 16 · waived Oct 14, 2017 — never played a Warriors regular-season game) before Utah.
Georges Niang entered the 2016 NBA Draft as one of those prospects whose résumé was far more impressive than his projected draft position. He had spent four years at Iowa State, becoming a two-time All-American and finishing his college career with more than 2,200 points. He could score inside, stretch defenses outside and understood how to play within an offense, but NBA teams questioned how his game would translate athletically. Indiana eventually decided the basketball skill was worth the gamble, selecting Niang 50th overall in the second round. For Niang, getting drafted was the reward for four productive years in Ames, but making the Pacers' rotation was an entirely different challenge. Indiana was not rebuilding around young players. The Pacers had Paul George entering what would become his final season with the franchise and a veteran-heavy frontcourt that included Thaddeus Young, Myles Turner and Al Jefferson. Niang signed a multi-year contract in July, but there was never an obvious path toward meaningful minutes for the rookie. His first NBA season therefore became much more about learning than producing. Niang appeared in 23 games, never started and averaged only 4.0 minutes per appearance. His opportunities were usually brief stretches at the end of games rather than extended chances to settle into the offense. He finished the season averaging 0.9 points and 0.7 rebounds, shooting 25.0% from the field and making just one of his 12 three-point attempts. For a player whose shooting would eventually become the skill that kept him in NBA rotations for years, an 8.3% rookie percentage from three looks almost unrecognizable in hindsight. Niang also spent time developing away from the NBA roster, including assignments with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants in the D-League. There he had the freedom that wasn't available with the Pacers, handling a larger offensive role and trying to reshape his college game for professional basketball. That developmental period mattered because Niang was beginning to understand what his NBA identity needed to become. He wasn't going to receive the same touches he had at Iowa State. To survive, he needed to become quicker with his decisions, more reliable from outside and useful without needing the ball. Indiana ultimately decided not to wait for that transformation. After one season, the Pacers waived Niang on July 14, 2017, ending his first NBA chapter after only 23 appearances. At the time, there was little indication that the 50th pick would eventually become a long-term NBA rotation player. His rookie numbers certainly didn't suggest it, and second-round picks with limited athleticism rarely receive endless opportunities. Yet that is what makes Indiana such an interesting opening chapter when looking back on Niang's career. The Pacers drafted a polished college scorer who wasn't yet ready to fill the specialized role he would eventually master. Indiana didn't get to benefit from the shooter Niang became in Utah, Philadelphia, Cleveland and beyond, but it gave him his first NBA uniform, his first minutes and his first understanding of just how much he would need to adapt. The Minivan had entered the league. It simply needed a few more miles before it found the right road.
Utah Jazz · 2018–2021
Free agent / two-way — January 14, 2018 — two-way with Utah. June 25 QO → RFA; July 13 signed a 3-year, $4.94M deal. Became a high-volume stretch four on Donovan Mitchell–era Jazz teams.
When Georges Niang signed a two-way contract with Utah in January 2018, his NBA career was hardly secure. Indiana had waived him after one quiet rookie season, Golden State had brought him through training camp and released him, and Niang was back in the G League with the Santa Cruz Warriors. He was producing there — 18.4 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game — but at 24 years old, he needed another NBA organization to believe his unusual combination of size, shooting touch and basketball intelligence could translate. Utah became that organization. Niang played only nine NBA games during the remainder of 2017-18, but the Jazz were watching his development closely. That summer became important. He impressed during Summer League, averaging 15.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists, and Utah rewarded him with a three-year, $4.94 million contract in July 2018. Suddenly, the player who had been fighting for another two-way opportunity had actual NBA stability. His role grew gradually under Quin Snyder. Niang appeared in 59 games in 2018-19 and shot 41.0% from three, establishing the skill that would keep him on the floor. He wasn't going to dominate possessions as he had at Iowa State or in the G League. Utah needed him to space the floor around Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, make quick decisions and punish defenses when they left him open. Niang embraced it. The following season, he played 66 games and again hit 40.0% from deep, while his 2019-20 playoff run provided another encouraging step. In Utah's seven-game first-round series against Denver, Niang averaged 8.3 points in 16.3 minutes and shot 41.4% from three. By 2020-21, he had become a regular piece of one of the NBA's best teams. Utah finished with a league-best 52-20 record, while Niang appeared in all 72 games, made the first 10 starts of his career and averaged 6.9 points in 16.0 minutes. More importantly, his shooting reached another level. Niang made 1.7 threes per game while connecting on a career-best 42.5%, ranking among the league's most efficient outside shooters. The postseason didn't provide the ending Utah wanted. Niang struggled badly during the second-round loss to the Clippers, making only one three-pointer in the six-game series as his minutes declined. It was a disappointing finish to his strongest regular season, and that summer Niang entered unrestricted free agency rather than returning to Utah. Still, the larger story of his Jazz career was unquestionably one of development. Across 229 games, Niang averaged 5.5 points while shooting 41.1% from three, transforming himself from a two-way player searching for a place in the league into a dependable NBA floor spacer. Utah didn't simply give Niang another opportunity. The Jazz helped him discover exactly what kind of NBA player he needed to become, and the role he built in Salt Lake City would keep the Minivan rolling for years afterward.
Philadelphia 76ers · 2021–2023
Free agent — August 6, 2021 — signed a 2-year, $6.7 million contract with Philadelphia as a stretch four next to Joel Embiid.
By the time Georges Niang reached Philadelphia in August 2021, the uncertainty that followed him early in his career was gone. Utah had spent several years turning him into a dependable NBA floor spacer, and the 76ers knew exactly why they wanted him. Niang had made 40.4% of his career three-pointers entering free agency and was coming off a career-best 42.5% season from deep. Philadelphia needed shooting around Joel Embiid, and on August 6, the Sixers brought the Minivan east. The fit became obvious almost immediately. Niang wasn't shy about shooting, and playing beside Embiid created exactly the kind of opportunities he wanted. When defenses collapsed toward Philadelphia's All-Star center, Niang could drift beyond the arc and be ready for the kick-out. He appeared in 76 games during his first season, starting seven, and produced what was then a career-high 9.2 points per game while shooting 40.3% from three on 5.1 attempts per night. He also put together a 31-game streak with at least one made three-pointer, eventually becoming the sixth-longest such streak in franchise history. There was more to his Philadelphia experience than standing in the corner. Niang's personality quickly became part of his appeal. He played with visible emotion, wasn't afraid to talk, and carried the confidence of a player who believed every open three should belong to him. That attitude suited a city that rarely hides how it feels about its basketball team. Niang even became an unusually open window into the locker room during his second season, writing a recurring player diary that discussed everything from road trips and shooting slumps to experiencing Embiid's historic 59-point performance from the perspective of a teammate. His second year brought slightly fewer scoring opportunities but even more consistency. Niang played a career-high 78 games in 2022-23, averaging 8.2 points and shooting 40.1% from three. He buried 149 three-pointers off the bench, setting a Sixers franchise record for made threes by a reserve in a single season. By then, there was little mystery surrounding his job. Embiid and James Harden drew the attention; Niang spaced the floor and punished teams that forgot about him. The playoffs provided one final reminder of his value. Philadelphia swept Brooklyn before meeting Boston in a bruising second-round series. Niang wasn't a major-minute player, but when Doc Rivers called on him, his shot traveled. He made 45% of his threes against the Celtics, including timely contributions as Philadelphia pushed Boston to seven games. The ending, however, was painful. The Sixers lost Game 7 by 24 points, extending the franchise's inability to reach the conference finals. Niang didn't dress it up afterward, saying Philadelphia wasn't interested in moral victories: they had lost, and that was what mattered. That defeat became his final game as a Sixer. Niang entered unrestricted free agency and signed with Cleveland in July 2023. He left Philadelphia after only two seasons, but they were two of the most productive years of his career. Utah had taught the Minivan how to survive in the NBA. Philadelphia gave him permission to hit the gas.
Cleveland Cavaliers · 2023–2025
Free agent — July 6, 2023 — signed a 3-year, $25.5 million contract with Cleveland. Traded to Atlanta with Caris LeVert for De'Andre Hunter on February 6, 2025.
When Georges Niang reached free agency in the summer of 2023, Cleveland wasn't taking a flyer on him. The Cavaliers knew exactly what they were buying. Niang had spent five consecutive seasons shooting at least 40% from three before arriving, including two productive years in Philadelphia, and Cleveland badly needed more shooting around a core built around Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. The Cavaliers made that need clear with their investment, signing Niang to a three-year, $25.5 million contract in July. His first year in Cleveland became a different kind of accomplishment than his earlier stops. Niang wasn't fighting to establish an NBA identity anymore; he was being asked to provide something reliable every night. He did exactly that. Niang appeared in all 82 games during the 2023-24 season, the only season of his career in which he played the entire schedule, and started 10 times. He averaged a career-high 9.4 points, added 3.4 rebounds and played 22.3 minutes per night, another personal best. The shooting wasn't quite as automatic as it had been in Philadelphia. Niang connected on 37.6% of his threes, his lowest percentage since becoming an established rotation player, but Cleveland continued trusting him because of what his presence did to opposing defenses. Mobley and Allen operated inside, Mitchell and Garland attacked from the perimeter, and Niang's willingness to fire immediately gave the Cavaliers another player defenses couldn't simply abandon. He attempted nearly five threes per game and finished the season with 149 makes from beyond the arc, matching the total he had produced the previous year in Philadelphia. Niang's first Cleveland postseason was less successful. The Cavaliers survived a seven-game battle against Orlando before falling to Boston in the second round, while Niang struggled to find his shot. Across 10 playoff appearances, he averaged only 2.8 points and made 13.0% of his three-point attempts. It was a difficult finish, but Cleveland returned the following season with Kenny Atkinson replacing J.B. Bickerstaff and Niang still occupying his familiar bench role. Something clicked again in 2024-25. Through 51 games with Cleveland, Niang shot 40.0% from three and 47.7% overall, restoring the efficiency that had defined much of his career. On January 25, 2025 against Houston, he erupted for a career-high 21 points — including six made threes — as Cleveland kept leaning on the same veteran spacer. More broadly, his shooting and presence remained valuable as Cleveland emerged as one of the East's best teams. But Niang wouldn't finish the season there. At the February 2025 trade deadline, Cleveland moved him to Atlanta as part of the deal that brought De'Andre Hunter to the Cavaliers. The move wasn't an indictment of Niang's play; Cleveland was consolidating depth to add a bigger two-way wing for a playoff run. Niang left after 133 regular-season games in a Cavaliers uniform, including all 82 during his first year. His Cleveland chapter didn't redefine his career the way Utah had or give him quite the same cult-favorite identity he developed in Philadelphia. Instead, it showed something else about the Minivan: by this stage, teams knew precisely what they were getting. Cleveland paid for shooting, availability and veteran reliability, and for a season and a half, Niang gave them plenty of each.
Atlanta Hawks · 2025
Trade — February 6, 2025 — acquired from Cleveland with Caris LeVert and picks for De'Andre Hunter. Last played April 11, 2025. July 7 — salary piece to Boston in the Porziņģis 3-teamer (never played for BOS). Aug 6 — BOS flipped him to Utah (never played). Feb 3, 2026 — UTA sent him to Memphis in the JJJ deal; waived by MEM Feb 5. Missed all of 2025–26 after a September left-foot fracture.
Georges Niang's arrival in Atlanta came almost as a secondary piece of a much larger move. At the February 2025 trade deadline, the Hawks sent De'Andre Hunter to Cleveland and received Caris LeVert, Niang and draft compensation in return. For Cleveland, the trade was about consolidating depth into a bigger two-way wing for a playoff run. For Atlanta, it created opportunities for two experienced veterans while reshaping a roster that was still trying to find the right pieces around Trae Young. Niang arrived as a known commodity. By then, nearly a decade into his professional career, nobody needed an introduction to his game. He spaced the floor, fired without hesitation and brought enough size at forward to fit into different lineups. He had been shooting exactly 40.0% from three through 51 games in Cleveland, but Atlanta immediately gave him something he hadn't consistently received during previous stops: more offensive volume. Instead of merely waiting for occasional kick-outs, Niang became a more active part of the Hawks' second-unit offense. The change produced some of the best numbers of his career. Niang appeared in 28 games for Atlanta, starting twice, and averaged 12.1 points in 23.0 minutes per game. Both his scoring average and his 2.7 made three-pointers per game were easily the highest marks of any individual stop in his career to that point. Even with the increased volume, his efficiency held up. Niang attempted 6.6 threes per night and buried 41.3% of them, giving Atlanta exactly the kind of high-volume floor spacing it had hoped to add. It was a fascinating late-career development for a player whose NBA survival had originally depended on becoming a specialist. In Utah, Niang had learned how to remain on the floor by becoming a dependable shooter. Philadelphia allowed him to become more aggressive. Cleveland paid him as an established veteran. Atlanta simply handed him more shots, and Niang responded by producing at a rate he hadn't previously reached. His 12.1 points came on 44.1% shooting overall, while he also contributed 3.0 rebounds and 1.6 assists. The Hawks ultimately finished 40-42 and reached the Play-In Tournament, where their season ended without a playoff berth. That meant Niang never received an opportunity to turn his late-season shooting into another postseason run. His Atlanta chapter instead remained what it had been from the beginning: a short deadline detour that unexpectedly gave him room to show there was still more offense in his game. That is what makes the stint stand out despite lasting only 28 games. Niang had already played for contenders, appeared in more than 500 NBA games and established himself as one of the league's recognizable shooting forwards. There wasn't supposed to be much left to discover. Yet Atlanta unlocked a different version of him simply by increasing his responsibility. His 12.1 points per game were the highest scoring average of any team stint of his career, while his 41.3% shooting from deep proved the extra attempts hadn't diminished his efficiency. The Minivan didn't stay in Atlanta for long, but for 28 games, the Hawks gave it an open highway.
Golden State Warriors · 2026–present · 2026–present
Free agent — August 25, 2026 — signed a one-year, $3.9 million contract with Golden State, completing the Warriors' 15-man roster. Prior Santa Cruz Warriors / GSW training-camp history (2017).
Georges Niang had spent years building his NBA career around reliability. From 2020–21 through 2024–25, he played 72, 76, 78, 82 and 79 games, rarely missing time while becoming the kind of veteran teams could comfortably pencil into their second unit. Then, just as suddenly as that reputation had been built, his career stopped. A stress reaction that progressed to a fracture of the fourth metatarsal in his left foot sidelined Niang before the 2025–26 season, and he never appeared in a game. It became an unusual lost year filled with transactions but no basketball. Atlanta had traded Niang to Boston in the summer of 2025 as part of the three-team Kristaps Porziņģis deal, only for the Celtics to send him back to Utah a month later. While injured, he was moved again in February 2026, this time from Utah to Memphis as part of the blockbuster Jaren Jackson Jr. trade. Two days later, the Grizzlies waived him. For a player who had appeared in nearly every game for five consecutive seasons, Niang suddenly went an entire year without stepping onto an NBA court. That made the summer of 2026 different. Niang wasn't simply another veteran shooter choosing his next contender; he needed to show that his foot was healthy and that the player who had shot 40.6% from three across 79 games in 2024–25 was still there. Golden State began showing legitimate interest while looking for veterans to fill its remaining roster spots, and Niang worked out at the Warriors' facility as the organization evaluated his recovery. On August 25, 2026, the comeback officially had a destination. Niang agreed to a one-year, $3.9 million contract with Golden State, filling the Warriors' final standard roster spot. It was an intriguing fit for a team that has always valued shooting and quick decision-making. Niang enters Golden State as a career 39.9% three-point shooter, giving the Warriors another proven floor spacer in a veteran frontcourt featuring Draymond Green, Kristaps Porziņģis and Al Horford. There is also a small piece of history that makes Golden State an especially fitting place for his return. Back in 2017, immediately after Indiana waived him, Niang joined the Warriors for training camp. Golden State waived him before the season began, and he subsequently played for the Santa Cruz Warriors in the G League before Utah eventually gave him the opportunity that stabilized his career. Nearly nine years later, he has circled back to the same organization as a completely different player. Niang's role isn't guaranteed to be large. At 33 and returning from the most significant injury interruption of his career, he'll have to prove his body can handle NBA minutes again. But Golden State doesn't need him to become something new. If the Minivan can still space the floor, knock down open threes and bring the veteran edge that followed him through Utah, Philadelphia and Cleveland, there is a useful role waiting for him. His first Warriors chapter in 2017 ended before it really started. In 2026, Niang finally gets another chance to put some actual NBA miles on the Minivan in Golden State.
