The Golden State Warriors have now solidifed their two-way contract spots with their signing of big man Graham Ike this week. That was likely the right move.
Ike was a standout in Summer League, and although his offensive skill set is somewhat limited, he has a chance to serve as an important depth piece at the center position for Golden State. There's enough concern surrounding the availability of Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford that bringing in another center was likely the right move.
But that leaves Lajae Jones, the Warriors' second-round selection in the 2026 NBA Draft, headed overseas. Jones signed a one-year deal with Pallacanestro Trieste of Lega Basket Serie A in Italy. He'll hope to continue his development there as the Warriors sort out the future of their two-way contract rotation.
Again, this was the right move in the short-term. But that doesn't mean that Jones doesn't still have some upside as an asset for Golden State in the long-term.
Lajae Jones should be a real candidate to join the Warriors next season (if he continues to develop)
With the success the Warriors have had in the second round in recent years, it's easy to forget that NBA-ready prospects are relatively few and far between at that point in the draft. Will Richard (who was selected at 56th overall) is an outlier, not the norm.
Jones obviously still has some major development to do before he's ready for a significant NBA opportunity. He averaged just 12.7 points while shooting 32.5% from beyond the arc in his final college season at Florida State, and he needs to both hit his perimeter shots and operate off the dribble with more confidence if he's going to develop any sort of viable offensive bag.
He'll get the opportunity to do that in Italy. The Warriors still retain his rights, and they're able to either use him in a trade or sign him to a contract next season depending on how things unfold.
Jones showed enough defensive upside in Summer League to consider the latter as a real possibility. At 6'7" and 200 lbs, he has the archetypal frame to be a plus wing defender on an NBA roster, and he showed a tenacity and lateral agility that was impressive. Had he made it to training camp, even on an Exhibit-10 deal, there's a real chance he would've been able to impress the Warriors coaching staff enough to hang onto a spot.
But this roster's need for a center after the departure of Quinten Post in restricted free agency outweighted that possibility.
In the long-term, it's important to note that Leons, who is with the Warriors on a two-way contract this season, won't be eligible for one next year. Perhaps a re-shuffling of the roster will open up an opportunity for Jones.
At the very least, the Warriors can't afford to forget about their draft-and-stash between now and next offseason. As this current era comes to an end, every young asset needs to have some value, and Jones has flashed enough upside that a major leap during his year abroad could reap major dividends.
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