During a Monday afternoon news release (1:33 p.m.), the Golden State Warriors announced that a 6-foot-8 rookie forward was joining the franchise for training camp.

“The Golden State Warriors have signed free agent forward Ja’Vier Francis, guard Chance McMillian, and forward Jacksen Moni,” the Dubs said.

However, five hours and 37 minutes later, Golden State released a fresh news release stating that they had waived Francis well before opening night.

Francis played a significant role in Houston’s electric 2024-25 NCAA Tournament run. The New Orleans, Louisiana native was far from a go-to low-post scorer, but he chose his spots wisely and remained patient until the right opportunity arose.

Defensively, Francis used his length, instincts, and ball tracking chops to finish second on the team in blocks per game.

For the season, Francis averaged 5.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, and one block per game on a Houston squad that reached the national championship, connecting on 60.8% of his field goals in 38 contests.

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Still, the 21-year-old wasn’t fortunate enough to hear his name on draft night, leaving him no choice but to hope an organization signed him to a Summer League deal.

The Warriors wound up being that organization, and while Francis only appeared in one NBA 2K26 Summer League clash, he undoubtedly made it count.

The former three-star recruit finished with 14.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks per game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on July 19, shooting 63.6% from the field.

According to CBS Sports, Golden State will retain Francis’ G-League rights, meaning there’s a good chance he’ll spend his first professional season with the Santa Cruz Warriors.