The Golden State Warriors traded back from the No. 41 pick in the NBA Draft, but landed a player at No. 52 who might contribute next season anyway in 21-year-old Australian forward Alex Toohey.
![Slater] The Golden State Warriors are dangling a protected version of their 2025 first-round pick for the right player...The Warriors are nearly $6 million above the luxury-tax line, and there is a](https://external-preview.redd.it/slater-the-golden-state-warriors-are-dangling-a-protected-v0-dK3V6vqC2MshRY-VQ9-Qr8jgWgUiBsWTf6u5wvZc9vY.jpg?width=640&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=db07a5ee2a72dfd708096054420997d8a9945441)
Toohey won the NBL’s “Next Generation Award” last season, an honor given to the best player in Australia’s pro basketball league. He started for the Sydney Kings for most of the season, a year where the Kings made the playoffs, which is impressive for a player who didn’t turn 21 until last month. Toohey is pretty big — 6-foot-8 with a 6-foot-11 wingspan — and his calling card right now is defense.
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
According to Sam Vecenie of The Athletic, who had Toohey as his No. 38 prospect, Toohey is a “sharp team defender” who “knows exactly where he needs to be at all times.” He has a good frame and wingspan for defense which helped him get steals and deflections. In a shocking reversal of what the Warriors normally do, he’s reportedly great at getting out to defend corner three-point shooters. He also switches and can guard effectively in the post and on the perimeter.
Is Toohey going to be a big scorer? Probably not, but then again, that’s not what the Warriors are looking for in a second-round pick. The attributes he has shown on offense might be a little boring, but they’re also exactly what the Warriors want in a bench player who’s likely to end up on a two-way contract next season: He moves the ball quickly, he cuts, he’s especially good at reversing the ball and making those secondary assists that lead to outside shots.
What’s his downside? Toohey isn’t very fast and isn’t particularly explosive. He makes quick decisions to shoot or not shoot, but he only made 30 percent of his three-pointers last season for the Kings. If he can knock down catch-and-shoot three-pointers at an acceptable rate eventually, he could be useful, but he’s probably a fourth or fifth option at best.
It’s the second Australian player the Warriors have picked up in 2025, following their signing of Tasmanian Taran Armstrong to a two-way contract in February. Armstrong also came out of Australia’s Centre of Excellence development, which is where Toohey spent three years before becoming part of the NBL’s “Next Stars” program and landing with the Kings. Toohey got a scholarship to Gonzaga but chose professional Aussie ball over the Bulldogs.
The Warriors do have a strong history of getting late draft picks and two-way players to become useful NBA bench guys, and Toohey could certainly be one of them. He may not be amazing at basketball, but it does look like he’s already capable of playing Warriors-style basketball.
