The Golden State Warriors may remain motionless when it comes to free agency as Jonathan Kuminga's situation continues to play out, but at the very least there is some movement in regard to their G League roster ahead of the upcoming season.
Yuri Collins has spent the past two years with the Warriors in the G League and was elevated onto a 10-day contract late last season, yet his time with the franchise now appears to be over after his G League rights were traded to the Long Island Nets on Tuesday.
Yuri Collins appeared in just two games for the Warriors
Collins had been a staple of the Warriors' G League and summer league programs over the past couple of seasons, having gone undrafted in 2023 after four years at St. Louis where he twice led the NCAA in assists.
The 6'0" guard earned a training camp contract with Golden State in each of the past two years, but was waived before the start of the season as the franchise finalized their roster for opening night.
The Long Island Nets have acquired the returning player rights to guard Yuri Collins from the Santa Cruz Warriors in exchange for a first and second round pick in the 2026 NBA G League Draft. pic.twitter.com/2nrypjQudw
— Long Island Nets (@LongIslandNets) September 9, 2025
After averaging just 6.3 points, 2.6 rebounds and 4.9 assists in his first G-League year, Collins took on a bigger offensive role for Santa Cruz last season where he averaged 33.5 minutes per game as the team's starting point guard.
The 24-year-old subsequently increased his averages to 14.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, 10.5 assists and 1.5 steals, shooting 41% from the floor and 28.2% from 3-point range. Collins impressed enough to get a 10-day opportunity with Golden State, making his NBA debut in a blowout victory against the Dallas Mavericks on February 23.
Collins would finish that game with two points, two rebounds, an assist and a steal in just over six minutes, before following that up with one rebound, three assists and a steal in 10 minutes of playing time against the Charlotte Hornets two days later.
Having been waived by Golden State on March 1 and with this trade now taking place, it's say to safe we've seen the last of Collins at NBA level for the franchise. He'll now have an opportunity to impress with the Nets, hoping for another opportunity to arise in Brooklyn or elsewhere to ensure that his NBA career doesn't finish at just two games.
The Warriors received a 2026 first and second-round pick from the Nets in the trade. The 2025 G League draft will take place on October 25, with Santa Cruz set to begin their season on November 7 against the Rip City Remix.