NBA Rookie Issues Apology to Warriors After Getting Drafted
The Golden State Warriors acquired Australian rookie forward Alex Toohey, whom the Phoenix Suns initially drafted with the 52nd overall pick in the second round of the 2025 NBA draft on Thursday.
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Toohey last played for the Sydney Kings in the Australian National Basketball League (NBL). He played three seasons in Australia and declared for the draft after averaging 10.6 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.8 blocks in 23 minutes of playing time per game, according to his NBA.com player profile.
He also won the NBL Next Generation award for posting 45/31/73 shooting splits on 8.4 field goal attempts, 2.9 three-point tries and 2.9 free-throw attempts per game. However, Toohey was initially drafted by the Suns, but was sent to Golden State along with the 59th overall pick (Jahmai Mashack) for the 41st pick (Koby Brea).
Toohey, at 6-foot-8 and 223 pounds, can add more length and depth to the Warriors' roster. According to NBC Sports reporter Dalton Johnson, he also apologized to Golden State for what he thought was a rough pre-draft workout, which he considered one of his worst.
Johnson noted that Toohey thanked Golden State 'for doing deeper scouting before' the workout. Despite the rough start, some are confident he can develop his 3-point shooting and playmaking like fellow international talents such as Chicago Bulls guard Josh Giddey (Australia) and Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner (Germany).
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Toohey's skills were also compared to those of role players such as Doug McDermott and Max Strus throughout pre-draft workouts.
Related: Steph Curry Sends Message to All NBA Draft Prospects on Wednesday
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 30, 2025, where it first appeared.
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