The Golden State Warriors have set the stage for an intriguing series of training camp battles ahead of the start of action on Sep. 29.
They added Georges Niang and Brandon Williams on partially-guaranteed deals while bringing in Dalen Terry on an Exhibit-10 contract to compete for the 14th and 15th roster spots. That competition will likely crystallize between Williams and Terry, although it's hard to see a world where Williams' skill set as a lead ball-handler isn't highly valued in Golden State's rotation.
There's also a competition brewing for the two-way spots, though, and that should be just as interesting. As of now, Golden State has LJ Cryer and Malevy Leons signed to two-way deals. They also brought in former second-round pick Alex Toohey on an Exhibit-10 contract, and it seems like they'll still be willing to bring in one or both of second-round selection Lajae Jones and Summer League standout Graham Ike to join the competition as well.
For Golden State, the decision to bring Toohey in may just be a move to provide extra motivation to their existing two-way players and to see if their former draft pick has anything left in the tank after an injury-shortened first season. But Toohey has enough upside as a perimeter shooter and a combo forward that slotting him into a two-way spot should already be a serious consideration.
Alex Toohey likely still has upside to be unlocked for the Warriors entering training camp
After trading back out of the top of the second round in 2025, the Warriors took a pair of contrasting swings on two prospects with their 54th and 56th overall picks. While Will Richard had the championship pedigree and the immediate size and defensive polish to join an NBA rotation, Toohey's time in the NBL left much to be desired in terms of his physicality and offensive acumen.
Still, though, Toohey was a somewhat tantalizing late-draft flyer. He averaged 10.6 points, four rebounds, and 1.3 assists while shooting 31% from beyond the arc as a 20-year-old in the NBL. At 6'8" and 223 lbs, moreover, there's certainly some defensive upside to be unlocked there as well.
Toohey ultimately didn't make the Warriors' roster as a rookie after his season was ended by a knee injury, and he didn't look particularly effective even when he took the court in Summer League. He was often physically outmatched against NBA competition, and he struggled to complete his looks even when he was able to get downhill.
Leons may be the better bet in terms of NBA experience, having played in 31 games across two seasons and getting a lengthy stint within the Warriors' offensive structure when the rotation was depleted in the later portions of the last campaign. But the physical upside there is similar, and Toohey has at least enough juice as a rebounder and a perimeter shooter to quickly compete with Leons in terms of rotational viability.
Toohey shot just 28% from beyond the arc across his two seasons in the NBL, but he sunk 70.7% of his free throws—which is a strong indicator of potential upside from beyond the arc. Leons, for his part, sunk 35.7% of his 3-point attempts during his three seasons at Bradley, but he hasn't been able to unlock that to this point in his NBA career.
Ultimately, the decision should come down to who will be more ready to take on immediate minutes. At this point, it seems like the answer is Leons. But if Toohey comes out with a strong performance, his time with the team can't simply be an audition for Santa Cruz.
The Warriors need all the rotational help they can get, and even the margins of upside between players like Leons and Toohey will matter by the end of the season.
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