Dewayne Dedmon Signs With Golden State Warriors

UPDATE: Dewayne Dedmon, Ognjen Kuzmic and Nemanja Nedovic were recalled from Santa Cruz on Wednesday. Kuzmic played just over a minute in Golden State's 88-81 loss to Memphis while Dedmon and Nedovic did not play. The Warriors travel to Los Angeles to play the Lakers on Friday.

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UPDATE: Dewayne Dedmon was sent back down Tuesday, according to ESPN's NBA Transactions page. He was assigned to the Santa Cruz Warriors along with center Ognjen Kuzmic and guard Nemanja Nedovic. He played for 2:11 in Monday night's game. During his time on the floor, the Utah Jazz went on a 12-0 run, forcing Warriors' head coach Mark Jackson to sub in his starters with 1:12 remaining.

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Former USC center Dewayne Dedmon was signed by the Golden State Warriors from their NBA Developmental League Santa Cruz Warriors team on Monday.

The 7-foot Dedmon was called up due to a knee injury sustained by veteran low-post player Jermaine O'Neal.

Dedmon, who transferred from Antelope Valley College after barely playing his freshman year, finished his USC junior season averaging 6.7 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game.

Unfortunately, Dedmon's USC career will probably be best remembered for off-the-court stories from his unlikely ascension to being a Trojan to the high expectations put on him by former USC head coach Kevin O'Neill, who believed Dedmon was a lottery pick, to the late-night Spokane brawl he was involved in that ended his junior season.

Despite still being raw and having the ideal combination of size, speed and athleticism desired for new Trojans' head coach Andy Enfield's run-and-gun system, Dedmon declared for the NBA Draft in the spring. He went undrafted, but after stints with San Antonio and Miami's summer league squads, Dedmon was signed to a guaranteed contract by the Warriors.

Dedmon nearly made the Warriors' Opening Day roster, but was among the final players cut. He quickly signed with Santa Cruz, Golden State's NBDL feeder team, and played in Santa Cruz's first two games averaging 13.5 points, 12 rebounds and 4 blocks per game.

Though the Warriors can release him at any time because his contract is non-guaranteed, Dedmon could also stick around after O'Neal returns. The Warriors don't necessarily have to cut him after keeping an open roster spot coming into the season.

Here's Dedmon talking about his call up to Golden State: