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Speed of NBA game tests Warriors draft pick Alex Toohey in summer league debut originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – After days of waiting to make his NBA summer league debut at the California Classic, Alex Toohey certainly didn’t envision wearing a Warriors jersey for the first time to be in a nearly empty Chase Center. 

“First of all, it was obviously nice to be out there and not watch for once,” Toohey said Tuesday night. “It was definitely weird with no fans, but I mean, just got to play no matter what. I’ve probably played in more games with empty gyms than full gyms. 

“Kind of used to it, but definitely hard.” 

Fans were not allowed in the arena Tuesday. The final day of the California Classic always is reserved for the media, team personnel and family. 

Warriors fans didn’t miss much. The Warriors lost 93-79 against the Miami Heat to conclude their three games on their home court, going 1-2 overall. Their first Las Vegas Summer League game is Friday at 8 p.m. PT against the Portland Trail Blazers. 

Toohey, the No. 52 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, played 24 minutes against the Heat and finished the loss with six points, six rebounds, four turnovers and three fouls. He went 1 of 5 from the field and missed all three of his 3-point attempts but was a perfect 4 of 4 at the free throw line. 

His one made shot was a layup at the rim after being rewarded for constant movement without the ball. 

“He played pretty hard and he’s just taking time to adapt to the game and whatnot,” coach Lainn Wilson said. “For his first showing, from an effort standpoint is everything we asked for. Then we just got to take a look and see for him adapting to the game and such. 

“It’s normal for a guy in his position.” 

Watching from the bench is far different than playing the game. Toohey, in the Warriors’ first two games, had a front-row view of the speed and physicality of summer league after spending the last two years playing professionally in Australia. He admitted the size and length of his competition will take some time getting used to.

There were times that he had a step on his man, only to see a hand in the lane obstruct his play. 

“I think it’s definitely a jump,” Toohey said. “The athletes here are the best of the best. It’ll definitely take some adjusting to, but I think overall, as long as you get better each day you’re trending in the right direction.” 

Summer league can be extremely physical, often resulting in sloppy showings without much flow to the game. Players have 10 fouls to work with instead of fouling out at six. The extra fouls usually lead to a whole lot of hacking, making it unfair to judge players off one game or multiple exhibitions that won’t count in the long run. 

Warriors scouts and front office executives traveled twice to Australia during the NBL’s season to watch Toohey and other prospects. The reasons they were intrigued by him then are the same reasons they believe in him going forward. 

The size, versatility and intelligence of the 21-year-old were seen Tuesday, despite an unkind box score. Toohey, who plays both forward positions, began the game guarding point guard Kasparas Jakucionis, the player the Heat took in the first round with the pick they received from the Warriors in February’s Jimmy Butler trade at No. 20 overall. He also spent time on forward Keshad Johnson, as well as guards Pelle Larsson and Kira Lewis Jr. 

Toohey forced a backcourt violation on Larsson near the end of the first half, and he also was beat off the dribble a couple of times by the 6-foot-5 guard who averaged 14.2 minutes per game as a rookie last season. Both instances are experiences he can grow from. 

While Toohey only made one shot, the ball never stuck to his hands. And his feet constantly were moving. Team basketball, offensively and defensively, appears to come naturally to him. 

There’s a lot Toohey can take from his summer league debut, and he’ll look to build off the positives and negatives in Las Vegas starting Friday night.

“I thought I struggled,” Toohey admitted. “I was good in patches, but overall probably wasn’t as consistent as I’d like to see. Kind of adjusting to that next level of play, and I think it’s just going to get better each time.”

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Kings guard Dennis Schröder praises ‘unique' All-NBA center Domantas Sabonis originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

“He’s unique.”

That’s what the Kings’ newest free-agent signee Dennis Schröder had to say about Sacramento’s All-NBA center, Domantas Sabonis when the point guard met with the media in Sacramento on Tuesday during his introduction press conference.

“How he pushes the pace when he gets the rebound, gluing everybody together, getting people backdoor cuts,” Schröder told reporters. “Great passes, really physical big, set screens, great in the pocket, can shoot it. You know, I mean, he’s unique.”

Schröder became the Kings’ biggest 2025 NBA free-agency acquisition once the team’s sign-and-trade deal with the Detroit Pistons became official Monday.

Schröder, a 12-year NBA veteran, will get his first taste of playing with Sabonis, who finished first in the league in rebounds per game and 18th in assists per game this past season. In 2023-24, Sabonis joined Wilt Chamberlain as the only other player in NBA history to have more than 1,000 total points, 1,000 total rebounds and 600 total assists in a season.

“I’m looking forward to compete with him,” Schröder said. “We had a couple of battles in Europe, as well, so now he’s on my side. We’re on the same side so really looking forward to compete with him.”

Schröder and Sabonis look to be a formidable one-two punch for Sacramento as the team hopes to reach the playoffs this upcoming season after falling in the play-in games the past two years.

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The ECHL on Tuesday released the list of Players who received a valid qualifying offer from ECHL teams by the July 7 deadline.

Players who had already signed a contract by July 7 did not need to receive a qualifying offer.

Each team was entitled to reserve the rights to a maximum of eight qualified players. Of the eight qualified players, no more than four could be veterans (260 regular season professional hockey games played as of the start of the upcoming 2025-26 Season). Players on open qualifying offers cannot be traded.

The qualifying offer must remain open for acceptance until July 22 at which time the qualifying offer becomes null and void and the team may sign the qualified player to any salary or may elect to take no further action. Teams that extend a valid qualifying offer to a non-veteran player shall retain the rights to that qualified player for one playing season.

A team that extends a valid qualifying offer to a veteran player, or to a goaltender who has played more than 180 regular-season games, will retain the rights to that player until July 22. After July 22, if the veteran player or goaltender is not signed to a contract by the team, the player shall be deemed a restricted free agent and shall be entitled to seek and secure offers of employment from other ECHL teams.

Restricted free agents may not be traded. When a restricted free agent receives a contract offer from a team other than the team with the player’s rights and the restricted free agent wishes to accept the contract offer, the restricted free agent and the offering member must, within 24 hours, notify the ECHL, the team with the player’s rights and the Professional Hockey Players’ Association.

The member with the player’s rights shall have seven days after the date it is notified to exercise its right to match the contract offer.

If a restricted free agent is not signed to either an offer sheet or a contract by an ECHL team by August 8, the player shall be deemed an unrestricted free agent.

For a complete list of players who received qualifying offers, click here.

(Photo Courtesy of the ECHL)

As Warriors wait for Al Horford, disinterest in Deandre Ayton feels curious originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

There was a time when the Warriors so trusted their culture they would bet on it. Confident in feel-good vibes, largely arranged by Steve Kerr and Stephen Curry, they were willing to gamble on a player whose “red flags” might deter others.

The Warriors welcomed alleged circus act JaVale McGee, who contributed to two championship teams. Then came certified slacker Nick Young, who picked up a ring. Then came reputed grump DeMarcus Cousins, knowing he’d be sidelined for five months. Once cleared, he made plays for a squad that reached the 2019 NBA Finals, where any chance of winning was crushed by injuries to Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson.

When acquiring Andrew Wiggins in February 2020, the Warriors placed faith in their culture to bring out the best in the widely considered underachiever – and were rewarded.

Which brings us to Deandre Ayton, and whether Golden State still believes in its culture.

The Portland Trail Blazers bought out the final year of Ayton’s contract on June 29, after which he cleared waivers and became a free agent. Numerous teams did their homework, with some reaching out to the Blazers. This is typical when a player is cast aside in his prime.

The Warriors, according to multiple league sources, were not among the teams that lined up to gauge Ayton’s interest – despite some reports stating otherwise.

Golden State’s lack of interest is curious because Ayton would have been a clear upgrade at center. The 7-foot, 250-pound Bahamian would address the team’s dearth of interior length. He runs the floor well. His midrange shooting bends defenses. He’s the only active player to average scoring/rebounding double-doubles in each of his first seven seasons, and he has career averages of 16.5 points and 10.5 rebounds.

Ayton, who turns 27 this month, brings a blend of youth and experience; he was the starting center for the 2020-21 Western Conference champion Phoenix Suns. Among the Warriors, only Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green and Curry have more postseason experience.

Maybe Ayton would have brushed the Warriors, fully intent on joining the Los Angeles Lakers. There was no need, according to sources, because Golden State did not actively engage.

Ayton on Sunday officially joined the Lakers, signing a two-year contract worth $16.6 million. LA gets a quality big man on a discount because Portland will pay him about $25 million in the buyout.

Could the Warriors have offered a similar contract? The taxpayer midlevel exception is available for $5.7 million. Coming up with more – with Jonathan Kuminga still on the roster – would have required roster manipulation and shedding salary. General manager Mike Dunleavy has exhibited enough creativity to suggest he probably could have found a way.

Instead, the Lakers addressed their most glaring weakness, a massive void at center. They are considerably better equipped to deal with the prevalence of interior size/length among the deep list of playoff contenders in the West:

Isaiah Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren with the champion Thunder. Alperen Şengun, Steven Adams and Clint Capela with the Rockets. Nikola Jokić and (maybe) Jonas Valančiūnas with the Nuggets. Rudy Gobert and Julius Randle with the Timberwolves. Ivica Zubac and Brook Lopez with the Clippers. Zach Edey with the Grizzlies. Domantas Sabonis with the Kings. Anthony Davis, Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II with the Mavericks. Victor Wembanyama with the Spurs.

That’s 17 big men, all between 6-foot-9 and 7-foot-4, with wingspans as broad as 8 feet. With 6-foot-9, 250-pound Kevon Looney the first man off Golden State’s ship this summer, the team has no veteran center to provide resistance.

As of now, the Warriors are hoping to lure unrestricted free agent Al Horford. He’s skilled, stands 6-foot-9, spreads the floor and plays both ends. He also turned 39 last month and is considering retirement. If he decides to keep playing, Golden State, according to league sources, has a strong chance to sign him.

Horford is, by all accounts, a consummate professional. Low maintenance, and a great teammate. His only red flag is age, and no culture can transform that.

Ayton, by contrast, is said to have been less than professional in Portland, with reports of frequent tardiness and occasional locker-room tantrums. His work ethic has undergone considerable scrutiny. He famously clashed with head coach Monty Williams in Phoenix. There is no doubt the No. 1 overall pick of the 2018 NBA draft comes with risk.

But the Warriors have recruiters on the premises culture. Buddy Hield is a fellow Bahamian and assistant coach Chris DeMarco – who has served as head coach of the national team – have known Ayton for years. Then, of course, there is Curry and Kerr.

The culture.

That typically has allowed Golden State to browse, and maybe buy. Given the current roster, all reasonable options are on the table. Not “kicking the tires” on Ayton feels like a missed opportunity. One the Warriors can only hope doesn’t haunt them.

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