The Warriors still have work to do before their offseason is wrapped up, and that unfinished business is shaping the outlook for one of their most intriguing Summer League performers.
Golden State is expected to use its last two roster spots on veteran minimum players, with names like Kelly Olynyk, Georges Niang, Dalen Terry and Brandon Williams all fitting different needs. The frontcourt options would add more size and support, while the backcourt candidates would give the Warriors another ball-handler and some perimeter shooting.
That matters because the team is going to need usable minutes right away. Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody are out until at least mid-season, which leaves Golden State with little margin for error as it fills out the roster.
The ripple effect reaches the two-way spots, too. Malevy Leons and LJ Cryer already hold two of those three openings, and Graham Ike is still waiting to find out whether there’s room for him.
Ike, a big man out of Gonzaga, went undrafted for reasons that are easy to see from a distance. He’s a bit undersized for a center, and his offensive game is mostly tied to pick-and-roll action and work around the rim. But that didn’t stop him from turning heads in Summer League.
Across the nine games he played, Ike was one of Golden State’s most effective pieces, putting up 10 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game while shooting 48.4% from the field.
There’s also a straightforward argument for why he belongs in the mix on a two-way deal. The Warriors brought in Charles Bassey on a guaranteed contract after Quinten Post left for an offer sheet from the Memphis Grizzlies, but the center group still carries injury risk. With Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis on the roster, that’s not a small concern, and a rebounding big like Ike would help cover it.
The problem is roster math. If Golden State uses both of its final spots on veterans, there may not be a path for Cryer or Leons to move up from two-way contracts. The Warriors also have not signed Lajae Jones, the 6'7" wing they took at No. 54 in this year’s draft.
Jones could still be waived, as the Warriors did last year with Alex Toohey. But the likeliest outcome appears to be that Jones ends up with a two-way spot, which would make Ike’s path even narrower.
For now, his Summer League showing has put him in the conversation. Whether that turns into an actual opening depends on how the rest of Golden State’s offseason pieces fall into place.
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