The Golden State Warriors ended with two picks late in the second-round of the draft on Thursday night, with the franchise taking Alex Toohey (52) and Will Richard (56) after a pair of trades.
Toohey may prove a steal for the Warriors at the 52nd pick, having initially been projected to go 37th overall to the Detroit Pistons by draft analysts Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo in ESPN's mock draft.
Gui Santos' future could be impacted by the arrival of Alex Toohey
Givony describes Toohey as "a tough, versatile forward who brings feel for the game, consistent motor, length and anticipation on the defensive end." That statement immediately had fans comparing the Australian to current Warrior forward Gui Santos, and perhaps rightly so given they're both 6'8" who play at the three or the four.
Santos himself was an international prospect the Warriors took late in the second-round, with the Brazilian taken with the 55th overall pick in 2022 before signing a contract with the franchise in November 2023 after developmental time in the G League.
It now remains to be seen whether Toohey will jump immediately onto the main roster, be on a two-way deal, or like Santos will spend some time without a contract and with Santa Cruz or even back in the NBL.
The Golden State Warriors have selected Sydney's Alex Toohey with the No. 52 pick.
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) June 27, 2025
A tough, versatile forward who brings feel for the game, consistent motor, length and anticipation on the defensive end. pic.twitter.com/io4pGBVekQ
If the Warriors feel comfortable enough to have Toohey on the main roster, it will be interesting to see if that has any short-term impact on Santos who's coming off a promising second season where he made 56 regular season appearances and averaged 13.6 minutes per game.
It feels like a fait accompli that Santos will be back on the Golden State roster given the impression he made this past season, but Mike Dunleavy Jr. and the front office will still have a decision to make as the 23-year-old has a $2.2 million team option for 2025-26.
Tim Kawakami of the San Fransisco Standard specifically asked Dunleavy whether Toohey's selection will jeopardize Santos' roster spot, with the general manager responding by stating, "it's never bad to have multiple guys at that position."
Even if Santos does have his contract picked up for next season, Toohey could still have an impact on his new teammate's development and potentially fight for back of the rotation minutes given their obvious similarities.
The future of both players is likely to be determined by their ability to develop a consistent outside shot. Toohey shot just 31% from beyond the arc with the Sydney Kings last season, while Santos made 33% with the Warriors on just under two attempts per game.