After an impressive first year that saw him just miss out on All-Rookie Team honors, this is not how a sophomore season was supposed to go for Trayce Jackson-Davis.
After losing his starting spot and rotation role with Golden State, Jackson-Davis has officially been sent to the G League according to Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area.
Trayce Jackson-Davis' move to the G League is a brutal but necessary call from the Warriors
It is expected to only be a short-term move from the Warriors, with Jackson-Davis set to play in Santa Cruz's matchup with the Mexico City Capitanes at Chase Center on Sunday. The 25-year-old is then set to rejoin Golden State who play the second of a seven-game home-stand against the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday.
Jackson-Davis started in 37 of Golden State's first 46 games this season, but has since lost his rotation role to impressive rookie center Quinten Post and reliable veteran Kevon Looney. Steve Kerr has also gone predominantly small since the trade for Jimmy Butler, having started veteran forward Draymond Green as a small-ball five.
As a result Jackson-Davis has appeared in just six of the team's last 17 games, almost all exclusively coming in garbage time. He hasn't played more than 15 minutes in a game since January 22 against the Sacramento Kings.
Despite the lack of playing time recently, Kerr believes Jackson-Davis will work his way back into the mix, stating that "I'd wager almost anything in these last 19 games he'll find his way back into the rotation."
For now hopefully Sunday's game will provide Jackson-Davis with a much needed confidence boost, with Santa Cruz set to face former Warrior champion Juan Toscano-Anderson.
The 6'9" big man will be an important inclusion for the G League Warriors who have now lost five-straight games, including back-to-back games against the Wisconsin Herd at Kaiser Permanente Arena on Wednesday and Friday.
There should be plenty of interest in Sunday's game with Jackson-Davis taking the court alongside recent two-way contract acquisitions Braxton Key and Taran Armstrong. The former was dominant against the Herd, having averaged 27.5 points, 13.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 5.0 steals and 2.0 blocks over the two games after signing with Golden State earlier in the week.
Armstrong made his debut for Santa Cruz on Friday, dishing out seven assists but failing to score a single point in 23 minutes off the bench.