The Golden State Warriors, heading into 2026-27, need as much production from every part of their roster as they can possibly get.
Last season, their depth was stretched and tested almost continuously, and things came to a head when Stephen Curry missed a large swathe of the season with ongoing knee inflammation. In response, the team turned to players who otherwise may never have seen the court.
One of these pieces was Malevy Leons. Although Leons showed flashes of production as a lanky, mobile forward, he had his own injury issues he was dealing with that limited him pretty severely.
But now that he's fully healthy, Leons is flashing a more aggressive and more nuanced skill-set than we ever saw from him last season in Summer League. Although he's signed to a two-way contract for 2026-27, this sort of play could cement him as an important rotational contributor for the Warriors in his third NBA season.
Malevy Leons is doing exactly what he needs to create his Warriors opportunity
After Leons fizzled out with the Oklahoma City Thunder— having only appeared in six games in 2024-25 and not shown much upside offensively— hopes weren't high for the longevity of his NBA career. Even with an expanded two-way opportunity with Golden State in 2025-26, Leons ultimately wasn't all that impressive.
Across 25 games, Leons averaged just 3.3 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 0.9 assists while shooting 44.4% from the floor.
But it's important to note that, for much of his stretch last season, Leons was dealing with a wrist injury that prevented him from shooting with his natural right hand. Instead Leons took free throws with his left and was primarily a rebounder and an off-ball connector for Golden State when he was on the court.
He hasn't been dominant in Summer League so far. But he's been healthy, and it's shown.
Last night against the Memphis Grizzlies, Leons posted 10 points, three rebounds, three assists, two steals, and one block while going 4-of-6 from the floor. He's shown a much more aggressive offensive game throughout his five appearances in the California Classic and Summer League, driving to the paint and fighting through contact at the rim.
But more importantly, he's also shown a willingness to operate off-ball on the offensive end of the court. He had multiple strong cuts to the basket during the matchup against the Grizzlies, and he's routinely been able to capitalize off of the spacing provided by players like Yaxel Lendeborg, LJ Cryer, and Lajae Jones.
That, combined with his rebounding and height, is the type of thing that can put him in Steve Kerr's good graces. No matter how willing Leons is to drive into the paint and leverage his size, he's not the type of player that is going to get significant on-ball reps off the Warriors' bench.
But his ability to cut and finish consistently at the rim could soon make him an important two-way contributor in Golden State— and his continued development is a positive sign to take away from the Warriors' summer league outings.
Add us as a preferred source on Google