Category: Basketball

How Warriors stuck to plan with Alex Toohey, Will Richard 2025 NBA draft picks originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – Mike Dunleavy did not lie.

The Warriors’ relative restraint during the 2025 NBA Draft that ended Thursday night provided sufficient evidence that they, as Golden State’s general manager indicated earlier this week, are saving their energy for the free-agent market, which opens at 3 p.m. PT on Monday.

As much as the Warriors love their player-development staff, they’re prioritizing next season above those that will follow. It’s a logical approach for a team whose best players – Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Jimmy Butler – are well into their mid-30s.

Dunleavy earlier this week: “We’ve got three players in their 30s that are really good, and that’s the hand we’re playing. It’s certainly admirable what the [Indiana] Pacers and the [Oklahoma City] Thunder and some of these other teams have done in the league, but we have our group. We’re committed to that, and we’ve got to build with it and around it, and that’s kind of what we’ll do.”

Dunleavy on Thursday night: “We add these (draft picks) into the roster however we do it. But I think we’ll be looking to shift of roster the most in free agency, more so than the draft.”

The Warriors began the draft holding only the No. 41 overall pick. They traded down to Nos. 52 and 59 on Thursday afternoon, in a deal with the Phoenix Suns. Golden State chose forward Alex Toohey at 52, and shortly thereafter, swapped the No. 59 pick to the Memphis Grizzlies for the No. 56 pick, with which it selected shooting guard Will Richard from the University of Florida.

Both Toohey and Richard will compete for roster spots, Dunleavy said, while acknowledging they likely will spend time in the G League.

“These guys are good players; they have a chance,” Dunleavy said. “And we’ll put them in the development program, and it could be some time in Santa Cruz, it could be some NBA minutes. We’ll see how it unfolds.

Alex Toohey

Toohey, who turned 21 last month, spent the past two seasons with the Sydney Kings of Australia’s National Basketball League. In 30 games last season, he averaged 10.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.5 steals 22.9 minutes per game. He committed to play college basketball at Gonzaga in 2023 before opting for the NBL.

At 6-foot-8, 220 pounds, he’s a tweener forward. Too slow to be a prototype small forward, too small to be a prototype power forward. The Warriors are at their best when coach Steve Kerr can lean into a roster with players that have great spatial/movement awareness – a “feel for the game” – and Toohey, by all accounts, has that.

Toohey scored 87 on the NBADraft.net scale and was No. 55 on its big board of draft-eligible players.

Dunleavy on Toohey: “I think he’s like a 4. And I think with our system and the way we play, he has the versatility to play multiple positions. It’s who can you guard and where you can play offensively. And we think especially on the defensive end, he’s super versatile and creates a lot of plays.”

Will Richard

After starting at Belmont as a freshman, the 6-foot-5, 205-pound shooting guard transferred to the powerhouse Florida program and, as a sophomore, became an immediate starter for the Gators. He played 141 college games, with 135 starts, over four seasons.

Though backcourt teammate Walter Clayton Jr. garnered most of the attention in Florida’s triumphant run to the 2025 national championship, Richard acquitted himself quite well — especially in the title game. He scored 18 points, on 4-of-4 shooting from deep, as the Gators came back to defeat the Houston Cougars.

Richard’s profile was not listed on the NBADraft.net site, but the NBA.com site compares his attributes to those of Malik Beasley and Alex Caruso.

Dunleavy on Richard: “We see him as a two-way player, shoot it and defend it. He’s a pretty good on-ball defender, very good off-ball defender, and he’s got good length. And he’s coming from a really good program and system where (he was) well-coached, well-taught through many years in college. This is a guy that knows how to play.”

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Draymond Green believes Tyrese Haliburton's injury draws Kevin Durant parallells originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

After a thrilling 2025 NBA Finals came to an anticlimactic end upon Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton’s torn Achilles in Game 7, Warriors forward Draymond Green noticed a parallel to one of Golden State’s own playoff runs.

During an episode of “The Draymond Green Show,” the 2017 Defensive Player of the Year drew a comparison between Haliburton’s injury and Kevin Durant’s torn Achilles in Game 5 of the 2019 NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors.

“I do send my love and well wishes to Tyrese though just on a speedy recovery, leaving it all out there on the floor, you know,” Green told co-host Baron Davis. “These Achilles/calf injuries are tough, I put it on my Threads account as soon as it happened, “Man, that looks too familiar.” NBA Finals, elimination game, guy get to cooking, cooking. KD got to cooking, and so I just wish him well and a speedy recovery.”

As Warriors fans remember, Durant took the court in Toronto with Golden State facing a 3-1 deficit despite nursing a calf strain that had held the former NBA MVP out since Game 5 of the 2019 Western Conference semifinals against the Houston Rockets.

Durant famously started out Game 5 against the Raptors on fire, dropping 11 first quarter points, including a perfect 3 for 3 from beyond the arc, before hitting the floor early in the second quarter with a torn Achilles, a bitter end to an otherwise glorious chapter in a Warriors uniform.

One year ago, Kevin Durant made his heroic return in Game 5 of the NBA Finals before tearing his Achilles.

He had 11 points in the first quarter before the injury. pic.twitter.com/TziRJPntJ6

— ESPN (@espn) June 10, 2020

Haliburton, like Durant, started Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals on fire, draining three shots from beyond the 3-point line before succumbing to the same ill-fated injury as Durant.

Tyrese Haliburton went down with an injury in Game 7. pic.twitter.com/AZ1uk65dFg

— ESPN (@espn) June 23, 2025

With a recovery timeline that typically lasts well over a year, it calls to reason what the Pacers’ ceiling will be during the 2025-26 NBA season as Indiana’s star rehabs. If you ask Green, it’s a tough ask to expect a team even as talented as the Pacers to make another deep playoff run next season without Haliburton.

“It’s tough, man. We obviously had Klay [Thompson] go down, KD went down, but he left,” Green explained. “Same year Steph went down, it’s tough — You’re not winning without your best player in this league.You can put together a decent season, but it ain’t happening.”

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Kings pick Maxime Raynaud shares wild stat with Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Maxime Raynaud hasn’t stepped on the court yet for the Kings, but the No. 42 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft comes to Sacramento with an impressive résumé.

The 7-foot center, whom the Kings drafted in the second round Thursday night, was a star at Stanford, earning First-Team All-ACC honors as a senior after averaging 20 points, 10.5 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.4 blocks and 0.9 steals while making 67 3-pointers during the university’s inaugural ACC season.

That statline places Raynaud in rarified air, per Josh Dubow of the Associated Press, as one of three power conference players to average 20-plus points, 10-plus rebounds and make 50-plus 3-pointers in a season since 2002-03. The other two? Fifteen-time NBA All-Star Kevin Durant and Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2025 inductee Carmelo Anthony.

Players in power conferences to average 20+ points, 10+ rebounds and make 50+ 3 pointers in a season since 2002-03:
Maxime Raynaud 2024-25
Kevin Durant 2006-07
Carmelo Anthony 2002-03

— Josh Dubow (@JoshDubowAP) June 27, 2025

Durant and Anthony turned their one-and-done collegiate success into prolific NBA careers, though both were drafted much higher than Raynaud — Anthony at No. 3 overall in 2003 and Durant at No. 2 overall in 2007.

Still, Raynaud showed flashes of potential as a big man who can shoot across his four seasons at Stanford, posting excellent shooting splits for his size (47/35/77) on 16.1 field-goal attempts, 5.5 3-point tries and 4.2 free throws per game in his final year.

If Sacramento’s newest center can keep it up on the glass and with his shot for the Kings as he transitions to the pros, he could turn into a formidable talent for coach Doug Christie. He’ll have one of the best rebounders in the league to learn from in star Kings center Domantas Sabonis — but only time will tell if Raynaud will end up on any more lists with Durant and Anthony in the pros.

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Grading Warriors' Will Richard selection at No. 56 overall in 2025 NBA Draft originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO — Will Richard wasn’t even invited to the 2025 NBA Draft Combine in Chicago. Clearly, that didn’t matter to the Warriors.

Stealing Danny Ainge’s “Trader” nickname for his constant activity of making moves, Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy remained a busy man Thursday during the second round of the 2025 NBA Draft. 

Dunleavy first traded the No. 41 overall pick to the Phoenix Suns for the No. 52 and No. 59 picks. The Warriors went the international route at 52, selecting Australian forward Alex Toohey. Dunleavy then moved up from No. 59 and acquired No. 56 from the Memphis Grizzlies, going back to the college ranks to snag a player from the reigning national champion Florida Gators.

After averaging 12.1 points and 6.0 rebounds per game as a freshman at Belmont, Richard became coach Todd Graham’s first recruit at Florida and the move paid off in the ultimate prize this past season. Richard put on a show in the championship game for Florida, scoring 18 points on 5-of-10 shooting and going 4 of 7 beyond the arc. He also added eight rebounds, two assists, two steals and a blocked shot to take down Houston.

The Warriors traded up from No. 59 to No. 56 to draft Will Richard, who had a huge game in the national championship for Florida

18 points, 8 rebounds, 4 threes, 2 assists, 2 steals and 1 block pic.twitter.com/TUq92WG82f

— Dalton Johnson (@DaltonJ_Johnson) June 27, 2025

Along with the 75.6 true shooting percentage Richard had in the national championship, he became the first player ever to record those numbers in the title game.

Richard is a 6-foot-5 guard who will turn 23 years old in December. Over his four-year college career, he averaged 11.9 points and 4.7 rebounds per game with 46.3/35.5/82.5 shooting splits. He’s known to play incredibly hard and won’t back down from a challenge thrown his way. As a senior, Richard had 22 games of two or more steals.

The Warriors liked him enough to move up three slots in the draft, fearing another team was about to take him. He was Mr. Reliable at Florida, and Golden State can only hope that translates to the next level.

It’s impossible to guess what one of the last picks in the draft is going to produce for a team, if at all. However, Trayce Jackson-Davis (No. 57) and Quinten Post (No. 52) both exceeded expectations as rookies. The Warriors have found great success recently through their developmental program in the G League, possibly having their best campaign yet last season. 

Will Toohey and Richard join the trend? NBA Summer League is right around the corner for them to prove why they could turn into steals for Golden State.

Grade: B-

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Celtics trade No. 32 pick to Magic for four second-rounders: Report originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Celtics traded the No. 32 overall pick in the second round of the 2025 NBA Draft to the Orlando Magic on Thursday night, and they got a huge haul for it.

The C’s acquired the No. 46 and No. 57 overall picks in the second round, plus second-rounders in 2026 and 2027, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.

Charania also reported the Celtics were going to take Saint Joseph’s wing Rasheer Fleming with the No. 32 pick, but the Phoenix Suns acquired the No. 31 pick from the Minnesota Timberwolves earlier Thursday and took Fleming just before the C’s.

With Fleming off the board, the Celtics decided to trade the pick.

Reporting for night two of the NBA draft on the team that planned to select Saint Joseph's Rasheer Fleming before the Phoenix Suns jumped to acquire No. 31: pic.twitter.com/MPlDu6bzb4

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 27, 2025

The Celtics need depth in the frontcourt with veteran centers Al Horford and Luke Kornet able to become unrestricted free agents next week. By trading the No. 32 pick, the C’s passed on a chance to draft centers such as Creighton’s Ryan Kalkbrenner, Stanford’s Maxime Raynaud, Auburn’s Johni Broome, among others.

Boston still found a big man at pick No. 46, however, taking Kentucky center Amari Williams with the selection. The Celtics used the No. 57 pick on VCU guard Max Shulga.

The C’s selected Spanish wing Hugo Gonzalez from Real Madrid with the No. 28 pick in the first round Wednesday.

Second-generation NBA players are plentiful, and why not?

Dads can pass down their height, dedication and athleticism. Dad's handsome compensation can afford a son the opportunity to follow in his footsteps. And Dad's drive can serve as a road map.

Dylan Harper, the second pick in the NBA Draft on Wednesday, is the latest budding star whose father was decorated before him. Ron Harper capped a 15-year NBA career by winning five NBA championships in his last six seasons, back-to-back titles with the Lakers in 2000 and 2001 after three with the Chicago Bulls in 1996, '97 and '98.

Dylan, a 6-foot-5 guard out of Rutgers, was drafted by the San Antonio Spurs. His brother, Ron Harper Jr., also is in the NBA, having played in 11 games for the Detroit Pistons and Toronto Raptors the last three years.

In any other sport, the progeny of a former star player ascending to the highest level would be especially noteworthy. That Ron Harper's sons are on the cusp of similar careers as their dad was nothing out of the ordinary.

Read more:2025 NBA draft: Clippers select Penn State center Yanic Konan Niederhauser

LeBron James and his oldest son, Bronny, famously became the first father-son duo to take the court at the same time in the Lakers' season opener last October. But that is just one of the many dynamics of a son choosing the same career path to the NBA as his dad.

The phenomenon goes back a long way. Two sons of Minneapolis Lakers legend George Mikan — a five-time All-NBA center in the early 1950s — were drafted into the NBA, with one, Larry, playing 53 games in 1970-71.

During a 15-year career that ended in 1964, Hall of Fame center Dolph Shayes averaged 18.5 points and 12.1 rebounds a game. His son, Danny Shayes, outdid Dad in career longevity, playing 18 years through 1999 for seven teams, including a short stint with the Lakers.

Butch Van Breda Kolff played four seasons in the 1940s and in 1976 his son, Jan, became the first player to face a team coached by his father when Jan played for the New York Nets while Butch coached the New Orleans Jazz. Butch also coached the Lakers to the NBA Finals in 1968 and '69, where they lost to the Boston Celtics both times.

Other sons who faced teams coached by their fathers — who also played in the NBA — include Mike Dunleavy Jr. and Sr., Coby and George Karl, and Austin and Doc Rivers.

Austin Rivers also became the first to play for his father in an NBA game when he was traded to the Clippers in 2015. At first, he wasn't thrilled when his dad called to alert him of the proposed deal.

“He called me up and he asked me if ‘this was something you might be interested in because we need you,’ ” Austin said at his introductory news conference. “When I heard that, it was one of those things where I just kind of had to think, take a day to myself and be like, ‘Could this work?’

"And it does, just because of the relationship I have with him. It’s already kind of basketball oriented … It’s not so much like father-son. It’s just kind of like coach-player and then off the court, we deal with that a different way.”

Sons who achieved more than their father abound. Dell Curry was no slouch, averaging 11.7 points and earning $19.8 million over a 16-year NBA career that ended in 2002. One son, Seth, is in his 11th season, having averaged 10 points while earning $45 million.

Dell's other son, Stephen, is a certain Hall of Famer, recognized as perhaps the best pure shooter in history. He's led the Golden State Warriors to four NBA titles while averaging 24.4 points and earning $357.8 million over 16 seasons.

Klay Thompson was a teammate of Steph Curry on all four Warriors championship teams, and he's averaged 19.1 points while earning $268.8 million over 12 seasons. That easily eclipses the exploits of his loquacious father, Mychal Thompson, who won two titles with the Lakers before becoming a broadcaster with the team as well as a radio personality.

The list of father-son duos is too long to mention them all. Here are a handful.

Three sons of Hall of Fame guard Rick Barry played in the NBA, with Brent enjoying the most success. UCLA product Mike Bibby outdid his dad by playing 14 years to Henry's nine. Kevin Love outplayed his father, but Stan Love's association with the Beach Boys stood out.

Read more:Plaschke: Bill Walton's kindness and wonderful wackiness made us the grateful ones

The father-son combos include a host of juniors in addition to the Harpers and Dunleavys, among them the Larry Drews, the Patrick Ewings, the Rich Dumases, the Matt Guokases, the Tim Hardaways, the Gerald Hendersons, the Jaren Jacksons, the John Lucases, the Wes Matthewses, the Larry Nances, the Gary Paytons, the James Paxsons, the Scottie Pippins, Glen Rice, Glenn Robinson, the Wally Szczerbiaks, the Gary Trents and the Duane Washingtons.

And, of course, there are more Lakers ties.

Luke Walton matched his father with two NBA championships and also coached the Lakers, but couldn't attain the cult status of Bill Walton, a UCLA legend whose quirky, outsized personality transcended his achievements on the court.

The former Laker who did indeed transcend not only his father's career but that of nearly every player was Kobe Bryant. His father, Joe (Jellybean) Bryant, died last July, four years after his son tragically died in a helicopter crash that also took the lives of his daughter, Gianna, and seven others.

The fractious relationship between Kobe and his father is well-chronicled, and they rarely spoke after Kobe married his wife, Vanessa.

Dylan Harper's relationship with his father is stronger, although Ron Harper divorced Dylan's mother in 2012. She raised her two sons and a daughter as a single mom who also happened to coach high school basketball and run a travel program.

"I'm feeling EVERYTHING... from crying, to laughing, to being happy"

- Dylan Harper, newest San Antonio Spur 👏 pic.twitter.com/BBtk9b7EPa

— NBA (@NBA) June 26, 2025

Maria Harper, a former Division I player at the University of New Orleans, was an assistant boys' coach when her sons played at Don Bosco Prep in New Jersey.

“She was hard but loving,” Dylan told the Athletic in 2023. “She wasn’t just tough on me, either. Everyone got a little bit of it.”

Ron Sr. moved near his ex-wife in 2007. Yet he pointed recruiters to Maria when Dylan was being wooed by colleges.

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m proud of him, but I don’t want this to be about me,” he said at the time.

Yet like any father, Ron Sr. was proud of his son's accomplishments.

“When Dylan was 5 years old, I told people he was going to be really good,” he said. “He reminded me of me."

Dylan Harper might exceed his father's accomplishments in the way that Bryant and Curry did — or fail to do so. In addition to winning five titles, Ron Harper averaged 13.8 points and 3.9 assists in 1,009 NBA games.

Either way, Dylan is about to join a lengthy list of players whose fathers blazed a trail they followed.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

These are the best picks from the second round of 2025 NBA Draft originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The second year of the NBA’s two-night draft is in the books.

Compared to the beginning of the first round, there were much more trades at the front as teams scrambled to add some of the better prospects left.

Still, there were a couple of possible steals coming beyond the 30s, including a stretch center and a Duke product.

Let’s analyze the second round of the 2025 draft further with some of the best picks on the night:

Maxime Raynaud, C, Sacramento Kings

The Sacramento Kings picked arguably one of the more intriguing center prospects in the draft at No. 42. Raynaud is a 22-year-old 7-foot-1 French center who has close ties to Victor Wembanyama off the hardwood. In some ways, their games are similar. Raynaud is a strong rebounder on both ends of the court, while having the prized trait of shooting at his size. The Stanford product hit 34.7% of his 3s this past season on 5.5 attempts. That gives a rebuilding Sacramento something key to work with as he looks to get good minutes behind Domantas Sabonis.

Chaz Lanier, G/F, Detroit Pistons

The Pistons are coming off a promising season of their own, making the playoffs after a disastrous run under Monty Williams. They added to their young core with 6-foot-4 guard Chaz Lanier at No. 37. The one-season Tennessee Volunteer played four seasons at North Florida before making the switch, averaging 18 points per game. His biggest trait is the mix of his 3-point volume and percentage. Lanier, 23, shot 39.5% from deep on 8.2 attempts, which could help him with minutes early as a catch-and-shoot option for Cade Cunningham.

Tyrese Proctor, G/F, Cleveland Cavaliers

Cleveland finished as the No. 1 seed out East and finally built an identity in the post-LeBron James era(s). But the Cavs disappointingly fell short in the playoffs in the second round, still needing some areas of growth. They added to their wing department at No. 49, nabbing Duke’s Tyrese Proctor. Proctor, 6-foot-5, can play on and off the ball and averaged 12.4 points on a stacked Blue Devils team that had three top-10 picks this draft. Proctor, 21, had a solid shooting split of 45/40/68. The free-throw percentage is likely a one off given he went 87% as a freshman and 75.5% as a sophomore, though the downward trend is something to watch.

Rasheer Fleming, F, Phoenix Suns

The Suns were aggressive in the second round and moved up to pick first. With Kevin Durant gone, Phoenix took 6-foot-9 forward Rasheer Fleming out of Saint Joseph’s. The soon-to-be 21-year-old averaged 14.7 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.5 blocks, 1.4 steals and 1.3 assists on a 53/39/74 shooting split. Of course, he’s nowhere near Durant’s level and longevity, but with the Suns desperately needing more young talent at cheaper costs, there’s no wonder they went all out for someone like Fleming. He should get key minutes from the get go.

Kam Jones, G, Indiana Pacers

The reigning Eastern Conference champs added to their wing core at No. 38, taking Marquette wing Kam Jones. The 23-year-old played all four seasons with the program, most recently averaging 19.2 points, 5.9 assists. 4.5 rebounds and 1.4 steals, all college bests. The 6-foot-4 guard shot 48% from the floor, 31% from deep and 64.8% from the charity stripe. He did shoot 39% from deep as a freshman and 40.6% as a junior both on strong volume, but his free-throw percentages have typically been in the 60s. Still, with Tyrese Haliburton set to miss significant time with his torn Achilles, Jones could get his moments to show what he can bring to a hopeful contender.

Grading Warriors' Alex Toohey selection at No. 52 overall pick in 2025 NBA Draft originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO — Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy isn’t afraid to make moves, even in the second round of the NBA draft. 

It was just a year ago that Dunleavy traded the No. 52 overall pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Lindy Waters III the morning of the second round, just to then reacquire the pick to select Quinten Post later in the day during the draft.

Dunleavy was back to his ways this year when he reportedly traded the No. 41 overall pick to the Phoenix Suns for the No. 52 and No. 59 overall picks less than an hour before the second round began.

Instead of going the college route as Dunleavy previously had in his first two drafts, the Warriors selected Alex Toohey at No. 52 overall out of Australia.

Toohey, 21, played professionally the last two years in the NBL for the Sydney Kings. He stands 6-foot-8 and 223 pounds with a wingspan that’s nearly 6-foot-11.

The Golden State Warriors have selected Sydney's Alex Toohey with the No. 52 pick.

A tough, versatile forward who brings feel for the game, consistent motor, length and anticipation on the defensive end. pic.twitter.com/io4pGBVekQ

— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) June 27, 2025

Throughout the draft process, Toohey kept moving up big boards and wasn’t expected to be available this late. He was awarded the NBL’s Next Generation Award last season when he averaged 10.5 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game. There isn’t one skill that jumps out when watching Toohey. He doesn’t wow with his athleticism, but he is a skilled young player who has a clear feel for the game. 

That should fit in Steve Kerr’s pass-heavy offense. Toohey is known to push the pace and won’t stop the ball. Though he’ll need to improve as an outside shooter, he made teams feel a lot more comfortable with that part of his game at the combine. Australia is a basketball country on the rise, and Toohey could be the next in line to make an impact in the NBA. 

As Toohey’s game keeps growing, he should bring versatility and tenacity from the start. Having experience in the pros at a young age is a plus as well. 

There’s no telling yet if trading down for Toohey was worth it for the Warriors compared to the players they could have added at No. 41 overall, their original slot coming into the second round. This late in the draft, though, Toohey could be the latest second-round pick to make an impact for the Warriors as a rookie. Golden State has an open two-way spot, too.

If his shot continues to improve and his strong fundamentals bring solid results, Toohey has the chance to fit the mold of a modern stretch-forward who isn’t going to make many mental mistakes on the floor. The fact that he’s an active defender who enjoys that side of the ball should help him find minutes sooner than later, and that’s the best way to make friends within a locker room that has star veterans.

Grade: B+

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Warriors pick Australian wing Alex Toohey at No. 52 overall in 2025 NBA Draft originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Warriors made their first move in the 2025 NBA Draft by selecting Australian wing Alex Toohey with the No. 52 overall pick.

Golden State traded its No. 41 overall pick to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for the No. 52 and No. 59 selections.

Toohey is a 6-foot-8 forward who averaged 10.5 points and 3.9 rebounds for the Sydney Kings in the National Basketball League. He is 21 years old.

The Golden State Warriors have selected Sydney's Alex Toohey with the No. 52 pick.

A tough, versatile forward who brings feel for the game, consistent motor, length and anticipation on the defensive end. pic.twitter.com/io4pGBVekQ

— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) June 27, 2025

Following a second NBL season with Sydney, Toohey was excited to take his talents to the NBA, and he was among the 75 prospects invited to the 2025 NBA Draft Combine.

Multiple NBA teams travelled to Australia over the course of the NBL season to lay eyes on Toohey, per ESPN.

“Pretty much every area a basketball player can show, I feel like I’m gonna surprise some people over there,” Toohey told ESPN last month.

Hey @warriors fans, this is what you can expect from NBL Next Star Alex Toohey 👀 pic.twitter.com/4IbvDU4AGc

— NBL (@NBL) June 27, 2025

Now he gets a chance to showcase his talents with the Warriors.

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Kings select Stanford center Maxime Raynaud at No. 42 overall in 2025 NBA Draft originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

After making a surprise trade into the first round for guard/forward Nique Clifford on Day 1 of the 2025 NBA Draft, the Kings used their second-round pick to select a center on Thursday.

Sacramento drafted Maxime Raynaud out of Stanford at No. 42 overall, adding a 22-year-old Frenchman who is a skilled 7-foot shooter and can hold his own on the glass.

With the 42nd pick of the NBA Draft, the @SacramentoKings select Maxime Raynaud ( @maximeraynaud42)!

Second Round of the 2025 #NBADraft presented by State Farm is LIVE on ESPN! pic.twitter.com/LTvoxJFAl2

— NBA (@NBA) June 27, 2025

Raynaud was born and raised in Paris, France, before joining the Stanford men’s basketball program, where he earned Second-Team All-Pac-12 and Pac-12 Most Improved Player honors as a junior. He was a superstar as a senior, averaging 20 points, 10.5 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.4 blocks and 0.9 steals during his final collegiate campaign en route to First-Team All-ACC honors and the Skip Prosser Award for being the top scholar-athlete in the ACC.

The Sacramento Kings have selected Stanford's Maxime Raynaud with the No. 42 pick.

Fits a coveted mold at 7'1 with impressive shooting ability, which gives him a quicker path to a NBA role than some players who will be drafted before him. pic.twitter.com/rpQffTgGfV

— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) June 27, 2025

With Clifford and Raynaud on their way to Sacramento to join 2024 first-rounder Devin Carter and stars like Domantas Sabonis and DeMar DeRozan, the Kings certainly are set for the future.

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The Lakers have made a move to a better position in the second round of the Thursday night’s NBA draft, moving up to the 45th pick and sending their 55th pick and cash to the Chicago Bulls, according to people not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.

The cost of the pick was about $2.5 million, and it may put the Lakers in position to draft a center.

Read more:Lakers, Clippers likely aiming for 'best available' in NBA draft

People around the league said the Lakers are trying to put themselves in position to draft center Ryan Kalkbrenner out of Creighton University. Kalkbrenner is older at 23, but he’s 7-1 and averaged 19.4 points and 9.0 rebounds last season, and he shot 66.3% from the field and 34% from three-point range.

And the Lakers' biggest need this offseason is a center.

Read more:2025 NBA draft: Pick-by-pick coverage and analysis

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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Report: Warriors trade No. 41 pick in 2025 NBA Draft to Suns for Nos. 52, 59 originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Warriors’ first move in the 2025 NBA Draft came before Golden State ever got on the clock.

The Warriors traded the No. 41 overall pick to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for the No. 52 and No. 59 selections in the second round of the 2025 draft, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Thursday, citing sources.

The Phoenix Suns are trading the Nos. 52 and 59 picks to the Golden State Warriors for No. 41, sources tell ESPN.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 26, 2025

After shipping out its 2025 first-round draft pick in the Jimmy Butler trade, Golden State opted to trade back for an additional pick in the second round rather than stand pat at No. 41 overall.

Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy previously spoke about the optimism he had about finding an instant contributor at No. 41 overall, but also left the door open for the possibility of a trade, which came to fruition on Thursday.

“Yeah, that’s what we’ll look for,” Dunleavy said back on May 16. “Frankly, it’s nice having some of these young players come in and contribute right away. It’s not always guaranteed. Forty-one, I’m sure there will be a good player there. We can always trade the pick, we can keep it.

“I think the biggest thing of interest will be the amount of players that stay in the draft vs. go back to school. That will probably dictate the quality and the talent level at the pick, but 41 is a pretty good range to be in.” 

The Warriors have had success in the back end of the second round in both of Dunleavy’s drafts as general manager, selecting center Trayce Jackson-Davis at No. 57 overall in 2023 and sharpshooting big man Quinten Post at No. 52 overall in 2024.

While it always is a longshot for second-round draft picks to make an immediate impact in the NBA, Golden State now has doubled down on the opportunity continue Dunleavy’s trend of selecting a hidden gem in an area that typically is tough to unearth them.

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