Warriors Sign Free Agent Rusty LaRue To 10-Day Contract

The Golden State Warriors have “called-up” Rusty LaRue from the Ashville Altitude of the NBDL and have signed the free agent guard to a 10-day contract, general manager Garry St. Jean announced today. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not released. In order to make room on their roster for the team’s first-ever NBDL call-up, the Warriors placed Nick Van Exel on the injured list.

LaRue, 30, has appeared in 17 games for the Altitude this season, averaging 10.6 points, 2.2 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.24 steals in 25.6 minutes. He leads the NBDL in three-point field goal percentage at .483 (28-58 3FG) and ranks 10th in free throw percentage at .808 (21-26 FT).

This marks the second call-up of LaRue’s career, as he was also signed to a 10-day contract by the Utah Jazz on January 28, 2002 while playing for the Altitude. He remained with Utah for the remainder of that season and averaged 5.8 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 16.4 minutes over 33 games. Overall, the 6-3, 190-pound guard has appeared in 94 NBA games over four seasons, averaging 5.1 points, 1.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 16.4 minutes with the Chicago Bulls (1997-98 thru 1999-00) and the Jazz (2001-02). He also appeared in four playoff games while with Utah, averaging 5.0 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 13.3 minutes. A 1996 product of Wake Forest, he was not drafted by an NBA team.

LaRue is the Warriors first NBDL call-up.

Following his three seasons with Chicago, the Greensboro, NC, native played one season (2000-01) with CSKA Russia and averaged 6.7 points, 1.0 assists and 18.0 minutes in 24 games while playing alongside current Utah forward Andrei Kirilenko. He also played two seasons (1996-97 and 1997-98) in the CBA before joining the Bulls.

LaRue, who is the 10th player called-up from the NBDL by an NBA team this season, will wear uniform #5.

Van Exel, who has averaged 12.6 points, 2.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists in 39 games this season, is suffering from chronic left knee inflammation and pain. This marks his second stint on the injured list this season, as he was previously placed on the list on February 1 with left knee inflammation and subsequently missed eight games. Overall this season, Van Exel has missed 15 games due to the left knee after having arthroscopic surgery performed on it on October 20, 2003. Additionally, he has missed two games due to a left hip-pointer.