a day ago
Arrivederci, JTA!
During his three seasons with the Golden State Warriors, Juan Toscano-Anderson was the only Mexican-American player in the NBA. Now, his professional basketball career is taking him out of North America entirely.
According to 'Il Piccolo,' which is a local newspaper in Trieste, Italy and not a magazine devoted to small woodwind instruments, JTA will be portando il suo talento nel Mar Adriatico — that is, taking his talents to the Adriatic Sea. He's agreed to a deal with Pallacanestro Trieste, a team based in Trieste that plays in Italy's Serie A, the top professional league.
Toscano-Anderson was a member of the Warriors' 2022 title team after absolutely clawing his way into the NBA. Born and raised in Oakland, JTA went undrafted out of Marquette in 2015, then spent the first three seasons of his pro career playing for teams in Mexico and Venezuela, so he's no stranger to playing internationally. He joined the Santa Cruz Warriors in the fall of 2018, then made his NBA debut in 2020, two months shy of his 27th birthday.
By the 2021-22 season, Toscano-Anderson was a part of the rotation, playing 73 games that season and starting six. Though undersized as a 6-foot-6 forward, JTA's high basketball IQ, quality defense, and screen-setting were valuable for a Warriors team still trying to operate on 'two timelines.' He was athletic enough to participate in the NBA's Slam Dunk Contest, and in 2021 made one of the most impressive out-of-bounds saves you'll ever see.
While we're here, let's watch him dunk on Andre Drummond.
Toscano-Anderson signed with the Los Angeles Lakers before the 2022-23 season, but didn't find his niche like he did as a Warrior. He was a throw-in in the deal that sent Russell Westbrook out of L.A. in exchange for Forever Warrior D'Angelo Russell at midseason. JTA finished the season with the Utah Jazz, played a few games for the Sacramento Kings in 2023-24, then spent last season with the Mexico City Capitanes of the G League.
JTA will be forever beloved in the city of Oakland and among Warriors fans, and it's truly impressive to carve out a 10-year pro career anywhere after going undrafted. But it goes to show how difficult it is to stay in the NBA. If Malcolm Brogdon, the Sixth Man of the Year two years ago, still can't find an NBA home, it's incredibly tough for a guy like Toscano-Anderson.
He'll be able to see a former Warrior teammate in Serie A. Nico Mannion plays for Olimpia Milano, who competes in both Serie A and the EuroLeague, though the Warriors have held onto his rights.
We wish Juan Toscano-Anderson a fond, 'Arrivederci!' Let's hope that Serie A has a dunk contest.
