Alex Toohey has been waived by the Golden State Warriors after it was revealed this week that he requires season-ending knee surgery.
The 21-year-old forward, who made a name for himself in the NBL with the Sydney Kings, was drafted No.52 overall in the 2025 NBA Draft as part of the seven-team trade that sent Kevin Durant to Houston.
Toohey earned the NBL Next Generation Award in 2024/25 after starting 25 of 29 games for the Sydney Kings, averaging 10.6 points and 1.4 steals per game, and helping lead the team into the play-in tournament.
Known for his basketball IQ, passing, and versatility as a two-metre forward, Toohey missed the Warriors’ pre-season due to his knee injury and played only two games for their G League affiliate, the Santa Cruz Warriors, averaging seven points and three rebounds.
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Golden State quickly moved to fill the roster spot by signing former Oklahoma City forward Malevy Leons to a two-way contract. Leons has spent the past two seasons primarily in the G League with the OKC Blue and also appeared in six NBA games for the Thunder during the 2024-25 championship season, bringing depth to the Warriors’ bench.
Toohey was one of four Australians drafted in the second round this year, alongside Cleveland’s Tyrese Proctor, Minnesota’s Rocco Zikarsky, and Chicago’s Lachlan Olbrich.
Despite the setback, Toohey’s potential remains significant. Once fully recovered, his skills and experience suggest he could still carve out a successful NBA career, with teams likely to monitor his rehabilitation closely.
Nonetheless, it is a disappointing end to Toohey's first stint in the NBA, with the Warriors seemingly an ideal landing spot for his skillset and their future bench needs.
Depending on his recovery, we may very well see Toohey back in the NBL next season as a way to showcase both his rehabilitation and immense talent to prospective NBA teams.
At just 21, Toohey still has a long career ahead, and for the young forward, there remain hopes of further opportunities on the NBA stage.