The Golden State Warriors ability to generate a second-round pick for Trayce Jackson-Davis looks even better in the nearly two months since the trade with the Toronto Raptors.
The Raptors are taking a slow approach with Jackson-Davis according to recent comments from head coach Darko Rajakovic, but that doesn't make a whole lot of sense based on his already advanced age for a third-year player.
Warriors look even better for offloading Trayce Jackson-Davis
After recording a double-double in less than 16 minutes during his first game with the Raptors following the trade, Jackson-Davis has spent time with the team's G League affiliate where he's made a pair of appearances.
Speaking a couple of weeks ago, Rajakovic spoke of the benefit of Jackson-Davis playing with the Raptors 905 in order to become better aclimatized to the franchise's systems.
"The plan that we have for him is a long-term plan. We're really trying to get him up to speed with our program, with conditioning, playing in the system that we have (and) the demands," Rajakovic said.
The problem is Jackson-Davis isn't some raw prospect that simply needs on-court reps to develop. He's 26-years-old in year three of his NBA career after an extensive four-year collegiate career at Indiana.
His best year in the NBA remains his rookie season where he quickly became an impactful interior presence on both ends of the floor for the Warriors, averaging 7.9 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.1 blocks in 16.6 minutes per game.
The other aspect is that Toronto has a team option on Jackson-Davis' fourth and final year of his contract for next season. In an ideal world, they'd be getting an understanding of what they've got in the 6'9" big man, and therefore whether it's worth persisting with him into next season.
Trayce Jackson-Davis can't get consistent minutes with the Raptors
It's been downhill for Jackson-Davis at the Raptors since that bright opening in his franchise debut. His nearly 11 minutes in a blowout 52-point win over the Orlando Magic last Sunday was the first time he'd played double-digit minutes since that first game, having recorded four points and two assists.
Jackson-Davis has been inactive (with the G League affiliate) or a DNP in eight games since the trade, while he's averaging just 1.8 points, 2.1 rebounds and 0.5 assists in 5.4 minutes per game during his 13 appearances.
The Warriors getting a second-round pick for Jackson-Davis continues to look like a smart piece of business, particularly if they can extend that into becoming a genuine rotation player further down the line.