Jason Burgos
On Saturday, the Golden State Warriors signed a star prospect who surprisingly did not get selected during this week’s NBA Draft.
Jalen Brunson and Nikola Jokic have shown over the last six years that NBA teams can land potential superstars outside Round 1 of the draft. However, Los Angeles Lakers star Austin Reaves is a perfect example that high-impact players can even be found after all 60 picks are made in the annual event.
The Oklahoma product entered the NBA five years ago with no fanfare. However, he has evolved into a core member of the Lakers roster and landed a $184 million max deal from LA this week after a breakout season in 2025-26. That is why rookie free agent signings can’t be overlooked. And the Warriors may have landed a player with Reaves-level upside this weekend.
Golden State Warriors sign Graham Ike
The X account for Gonzaga basketball announced that West Coast Conference Player of the Year Graham Ike has signed a deal with the Warriors. Hoops Rumors reports it is an Exhibit 10 contract. An Exhibit 10 deal is a one-year pact for a minimum salary, and it is usually non-guaranteed.
Ike was a three-year starter for Gonzaga after transferring from Wyoming in 2023. The 6-foot-9 forward ended his five-season college run with a reputation as a great interior scorer and a top-shelf rebounder. He posted 19.9 points, 8.0 boards, and 2.4 assists while shoointg 56% from the floor. He has also improved on his long-range shooting in recent seasons.
The reason why he fell out of the draft was his age (he will be 24 in August), injury woes early in his college career, and his defense is viewed as average. However, he is still a max effort player on that side of the ball.
For a low price, the Warriors get a skilled interior scorer and rebounder who could be an impact player in their rotation next season.
