Alex Toohey was the Golden State Warriors’ first pick in the 2025 draft, as he heard his name called (technically by the Suns) with the No. 52 pick. The Australian forward previously played for the Sydney Kings, the same team Andrew Bogut played for before the Warriors signed him in 2019. Bogut has praised Toohey, but that might not be enough for Golden State’s top pick.

NBA insider Jake Fischer recently mentioned potential Warriors signees (subscription required), including Will Richard, the No. 56 pick in the draft. He notably left Toohey’s name out, leading fans to believe that Toohey could spend at least one more season playing in the Australian NBL. At best, Toohey could sign a two-way contract, spending the bulk of his time with the Santa Cruz Warriors.

Fischer omitting Toohey isn’t surprising, especially after how he looked at summer league. The pace was too much for the 21-year-old to keep up with, and it wasn’t a real NBA game. He knows that he needs to work on his conditioning. Toohey told ESPN that he wants to make sure he “nails” being in the best shape he can be before he “gets over there.”

Alex Toohey could be a draft-and-stash pick for the Warriors

He’s still a ways away from cracking Steve Kerr’s rotation, but again, he was a second-round pick! It’s not like Golden State drafted him hoping he’d be a rotation player on opening night. The Warriors aren’t in rebuild mode, but are trying to win a championship.

Toohey is eager to learn from his new teammates, but it’s unclear if that’ll happen next season. One of the best parts about being a young player on a team like the Warriors is that you can learn from some of the best players to ever play in the NBA. Not every rookie gets to absorb wisdom from Steph Curry.

His rookie season might have to wait until the 2026-27 season at the earliest, meaning that the next time Toohey could wear a Golden State jersey will be in summer league next year. If that ends up being the case, Warriors fans will need to keep an eye on his development in Sydney.

Toohey now has greater motivation, knowing that one of the best organizations in the league believes in him. As with every other young player (21 might not necessarily be young for the NBA, but he’s still young), his continued development will be key.