The Golden State Warriors made another minor roster move on Monday afternoon, adding small forward Malevy Leons on a two-way contract and, in a corresponding decision, waiving recent second-round draft selection Alex Toohey.
Golden State is waiving Alex Toohey, sources say. https://t.co/s2jlSREKRS
— Jake Fischer (@JakeLFischer) December 8, 2025
Toohey, who was selected with the 52nd overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, has struggled to find playing time both at the NBA level and in the G-League, and, while the lack of space on the Warriors' roster does not come as a surprise, their willingness to give up on a draft selection so soon comes as somewhat of a shock.
Leons, meanwhile, should present an additional end-of-rotation piece to give the Warriors an offensive boost when the situation calls for it. While the move is decidedly a minor one, Golden State could be adding an additional contributor that still has upside at the sacrifice of a recent allocation of their draft capital.
Alex Toohey, while not an organizational failure, is still a somewhat disappointing selection
When the Warriors decided to trade off of the 41st overall pick (their only selection) in the 2025 Draft in order to move down to 52nd and 56th overall, where they selected Toohey and Florida guard Will Richard.
Richard has made an immediate impact on the rotation, even getting a healthy dose of opportunities in the starting lineup. Toohey, meanwhile, appeared to be immediately outmatched even upon his arrival in Summer League.
Through the six games he played between Summer League and the California Classic, he averaged 6.8 points, 3.8 rebounds and 0.7 assists while shooting an abysmal 26.2% from the field. His numbers in his two G-League appearances this season were not much better.
While it seemed like he had serious upside for a late second-round pick, the concerns that lingered around him in the draft, including his lack of physicality and shooting touch, quickly became apparent.
Leons, meanwhile, is averaging 14.8 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists while knocking down 43.8% of his shots from beyond the arc in his 12 appearances in the G-League this season. While he is significantly older than Toohey at 26, he should be more capable of being an immediate contributor in an end-of-bench role if the need arises.
Golden State has already pulled one immediate difference-making prospect out of the second-round, and that, in and of itself, should be considered a minor miracle for a team that desperately needs cheap roster spots.
It's hard to fault the Warriors for not finding a second gem in Toohey, but their decision to move on from him so quickly is the disappointing reality of both his potential as a player and the organization's tight financial situation.