Summer League: Golden State Warriors’ rookie a hopeful return against Houston Rockets

The Golden State Warriors are hopeful that rookie Trayce Jackson-Davis will suit up for the team’s Summer League matchup with the Houston Rockets on Thursday.

Jackson-Davis, taken with the 57th overall pick in last month’s NBA Draft, has not yet appeared in the Warriors’ five Summer League games as he battles a minor hamstring injury picked up in the pre-draft process.

Trayce Jackson-Davis could be an exciting and welcome return to the Golden State Warriors lineup on Thursday against the Houston Rockets.

The 23-year-old has been ramping up his recovery, with Golden State General Manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. hopeful that Jackson-Davis will make his debut.

The Warriors have desperately missed the kind of presence and impact ‘TJD’ could have provided, having lost four of their five Summer League games to date. The latest of those came in an agonising overtime loss against the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday, going down 98-96 after a strong comeback effort in the fourth-quarter.

Golden State essentially acquired Jackson-Davis in exchange for Patrick Baldwin Jr. on draft night. While part of that may have bore from the financial savings, there’s genuine intrigue on how the 6’9″ power-forward/center could work with the Warriors in the short-term.

Discussing the franchise’s 14th roster spot and the potential need for another big man, The Athletic’s Anthony Slater has warned not to totally dismiss Jackson-Davis from next season’s plans.

"“Trayce Jackson-Davis is a name that gets forgotten in the frontcourt conversation”, Slater wrote. “The Warriors gave the 2023 second-round pick two guaranteed seasons on a four-year deal…They believe Jackson-Davis will be ready for at least spot minutes sooner or later.”"

Jackson-Davis played four years at college for the Indiana Hoosiers, with his strong form last season leading many pundits to believing the Warriors got a steal in acquiring him so late in the draft.