Alex Toohey didn’t need long to make his case.
In Santa Cruz’s season opener on Saturday night, the young forward looked every bit like a player the Warriors may want back on a two-way deal. Toohey helped power a 127-108 win over the Stockton Kings, and he did it with the kind of all-around line that fits exactly what Golden State has been looking for from a wing-forward prospect.
The Australian finished with 18 points, eight rebounds and four assists while shooting 7-of-11 from the field. He also hit one of his two 3-point attempts, added two steals and a block, and turned it over just once in 32 minutes.
That kind of production only sharpens the conversation around Golden State’s current two-way setup. Toohey, who was waived by the Warriors after getting little run in preseason, is making a strong push to reclaim a spot in Santa Cruz. With the team thin on wing and forward depth because of injuries to Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody, he looks like a cleaner fit than Malevy Leons.
Leons, meanwhile, hasn’t been part of the rotation at all. The 27-year-old played nine fourth-quarter minutes in the season-opening blowout loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, then logged fewer than nine total minutes over the next nine games. He also did not play Saturday night, just as he had not played in Golden State’s overtime win over the Orlando Magic at Chase Center.
Toohey wasn’t the only Santa Cruz standout, either. Current two-way center Graham Ike put together a big night of his own with 24 points, 11 rebounds and three assists in 28 minutes. The Gonzaga product shot 8-of-12 from the floor and went 1-of-2 from deep after showing some range in limited minutes with Golden State earlier this season.
The Warriors appear comfortable keeping things as they are for now, especially with Toohey available in the G League. But if Saturday was any indication, the 22-year-old is already making a strong argument to retake the two-way spot from Leons at some point over the next year. Toohey originally lost that contract and was waived by Golden State last season after a long-term knee injury.
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Golden State now has to sort through the ripple effects, especially in the backcourt where opportunity has opened up as much as concern has spread. The roster crunch has also fueled broader questions about how the team might respond if the injuries keep piling up, with one possible path being a trade to address the need for more reliable depth. [Read more 🡒]
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Moses Moody is at the center of that calculation. The injured wing is expected back within the next two months, and the Warriors have reasons to value keeping him, from his upside to the way his contract fits into future planning. For now, the team appears more inclined to shop in the range of players earning under $20 million, with center help emerging as the clearest target if a deal comes together. [Read more 🡒]
Andrew Wiggins Is Raising A Familiar Concern For Warriors Fans
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For Golden State, the interest is less about one box score than the broader pattern around a player they know well. If Wiggins does not find more consistency, Miami could start weighing trade possibilities before the mid-season deadline, which would keep his situation on the radar for a Warriors fan base that has seen how quickly his value can swing when his game is off. [Read more 🡒]