The Golden State Warriors, with Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody out until at least mid-season, need everything they can get out of their depth contributors this season. That includes their three two-way contract spots, and each of those players will have a chance to play rotational roles at some point during the regular season.
LJ Cryer, as a sharpshooter and tenacious guard, has a clear path to minutes. So does big man Graham Ike—assuming Kristaps Porzingis' return to the court continues to be delayed. But Malevy Leons, who posted a dud of a game in his biggest preseason opportunity yet against the Portland Trail Blazers, isn't in that same class.
Leons did perform better in the Warriors' first preseason game, and it seems as though Alex Toohey doesn't have a real path to challenging Leons for his two-way spot. But two things can be true at once.
Although Leons seems almost guaranteed to be on this roster in some capacity when the season starts, it's difficult to envision him being consistently effective on an NBA court. His shooting is too inconsistent, and he lacks the physicality to make his mark on the interior without being fed the ball on quick cuts to the basket.
But with Dalen Terry ineligible for a two-way contract and no other options having presented themselves, Golden State will likely be forced to roll with Leons in 2026-27.
The Warriors should've explored other two-way options this offseason— but they're stuck with Leons for now
It's somewhat unfair to judge Leons based on his production last season. He injured his shooting wrist at the beginning of his stint in Golden State, and the only reason he was likely still seeing minutes was because of just how depleted the Warriors' rotation was. Across 25 games, Leons averaged just 3.3 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 0.9 assists while shooting 44.4% from the field.
He looked improved in Summer League, averaging 9.8 points on 56.1% shooting from the field.
But in his biggest opportunity yet with the Warriors, Leons posted just five points and shot 2-of-11 from the field in over 33 minutes of time on the court against Portland. For a player with more consistency, that wouldn't be a major concern. It's the preseason, after all. But Leons hasn't shown anything against NBA-caliber players to consider this outing a true outlier in his game. He's an inconsistent finisher at the rim, and his skill set is highly limited as a forward in the Warriors' offensive system.
On most teams, this simply wouldn't matter. As long as there was at least one two-way player they could trust to take on minutes over the course of the season, taking a flyer on a prospect like Leons would be a luxury they could afford. But the Warriors may very well need all three of their two-way spots to contribute over the course of this campaign, and they simply don't have any options at this point to replace Leons.
Terry, as solid as he was against Portland, isn't eligible for a two-way contract because he has four years of NBA experience. He'll likely need to start the season in the G-League and see how things unfold from there.
Toohey, who was one of the Warriors' second-round draft selections in 2025, theoretically could take that spot on. But he posted just five points in the matchup against Portland as well, and he looks far from ready to be an active scorer at the NBA level. It's encouraging that he's returned from the injury that took away most of his rookie year, but that's about as much as can be said for Toohey.
The Warriors did look to bring competition in for their main roster, and that's why Terry is here in the first place. But their offseason decisions have essentially left Leons with an uncontested path to a two-way contract. Perhaps they could've signed Lajae Jones to a training camp deal, or they could've sprung on a player like Jordan Hawkins or even another undrafted free agent like Tobe Awaka or Nick Martinelli.
At the end of the day, though, we'll simply need to hope for some further development from Leons. It's the position the Warriors have left themselves in just before the start of a pivotal regular season.
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