The Golden State Warriors may have confirmed the return of veterans Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford, but they still need to solidify more center depth at the edge of the roster entering next season.
Fortunately another hidden gem could be emerging, with Graham Ike quickly showing displaying his potential while also feasibly making another young big man, Charles Bassey, redundant when it comes to having an interior center on the Warrior roster.
Graham Ike may make Charles Bassey redundant on Warrior roster
No one's suggesting Ike is going to be an immediately better big man in the NBA than Bassey who's now completed five years in the league, but he has a key edge over the 25-year-old that may point Golden State in his direction.
Ike is eligible for a two-way contract, something he could be in line for after the Warriors swooped on the 23-year-old. While not yet on a two-way contract after going undrafted last month, strong form throughout Summer League and potentially in training camp/preseason could be enough for Ike to stick with Golden State entering next season.
He made a strong start in Friday's California Classic opener against the Los Angeles Lakers, starting at center where had 11 points (5-of-7 shooting), four rebounds, three assists and a block in just over 19 minutes.
Ike started the game with an emphatic block at the rim, while also showing soft touch and patience around the rim which included connecting on a couple of pick-and-rolls with 11th overall pick Yaxel Lendeborg.
There's a long way to go, but Ike is also coming off a big collegiate career where he was the WCC Player of the Year last season and averaged 19.9 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.4 assists on 56.3% shooting from the floor.
Warriors may have moved on from Charles Bassey
Golden State need someone who can complement the floor spacing ability of Porzingis and Horford, but the front office also needs to maximize their main roster spots and Bassey is not eligible for a two-way contract.
Not only does Ike have an edge in that regard, but the fact the Warriors extended a qualifying offer to Quinten Post would suggest he's above Bassey in terms of center options to bring back. In fact, with Post a chance to return in free agency and Ike potentially good enough for a two-way deal, Golden State may have decided they're ready to move on from Bassey.
That would come as a disappointment to some within the fanbase, such was Bassey's impact on both ends of the floor during his five games with the Warriors to end the regular season.
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