Why Trayce Jackson-Davis could be a perfect fit for Warriors
Golden State Warriors went through great lengths to get Trayce Jackson-Davis with the 57th pick
SAN FRANCISCO — Trayce Jackson-Davis grew anxious as each pick passed. The Indiana Hoosier center had been tabbed a late-first or early-second-round pick, but teams were passing on him.
At 9:15 p.m. PT, Jackson-Davis fired off a tweet.
“Y’all will regret it,” he said. “I promise you.”
Almost every NBA team had called to strike a deal, his agent James Dunleavy told him, but most picks fell through and others came in only with two-way contract offers. Dunleavy — brother of new Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. — assured him that a guaranteed contract would arise.
“I was anxious. I got upset and let the tweet fly,” he said on Friday at an introductory press conference at Chase Center. “Same time, I play with a chip on my shoulder.”
About an hour after Jackson-Davis, 23, sent his tweet, the Warriors came calling with a guaranteed spot. Golden State entered the draft with no second-round picks, but swung a trade with the Washington Wizards for Patrick Baldwin Jr. in a deal that won’t be official until July 6 to get the second-round’s penultimate selection. He’s expected to have a spot on the 15-man roster, Dunleavy (the GM) said.
“The Warriors were the one team who didn’t want to do (a two-way),” Jackson-Davis said.
The Warriors had drafted 6-foot-4 guard Brandin Podziemski with their 19th overall selection still in desperate need of some size. They were shocked that the mobile big was still available so late in the draft.
Jackson-Davis is a four-year starter at the collegiate level with strengths that can meld right into the Warriors’ system. He’s a physical rebounder and capable scorer around the rim — which can supplement Kevon Looney’s role. Most importantly, he’s a strong passer, averaging four assists per game in his senior year at Indiana. That’s a huge jump from his two assist per game average his junior year.
“Credit my teammates for that,” he said. “For giving me the ball in open space, making the right plays, cutting to the basket and relocating for shots so I can get them open shots.”
Credit to Jackson-Davis for crediting his teammates, but that kind of feel for the game is just what the Warriors are looking for at that position. Draymond Green, Looney and, in previous years, Andrew Bogut kept the Warriors’ motion offense churning with their passing abilities.
Perhaps Jackson-Davis can grow as a screener — another big responsibility for bigs on Steph Curry-centric Warriors teams to get shooters going off ball. And for that lesson, perhaps Jackson-Davis can go to his dad: Former Indiana Pacer Dale Davis, who played alongside an all-time great shooter in Hall of Famer Reggie Miller.
Jackson-Davis didn’t see much of Miller during his childhood, but knows he and his dad were close as teammates. Now he and his dad can go over the intricacies of how to play alongside some of the game’s greatest 3-point shooters in NBA history.
“I need to start picking his brain more, but from what I know they had a great relationship and Reggie is a funny guy,” Jackson-Davis said. “He’s a clown.”
Davis spent the first nine years of his career in Indiana alongside Miller. He also briefly played for the Warriors in the 2004-05 season, with current Warriors GM Dunleavy, before being traded back to the Pacers mid-season. Overall in his 16-year career, Davis averaged 8.0 points and 7.9 rebounds per game.
Now, his son Jackson-Davis is set to become the fifth Warrior with a father who played in the NBA, including Curry, Klay Thompson, Gary Payton II and Andrew Wiggins.
Along with his four assists, Jackson-Davis averaged 20.9 points, 10.8 rebounds and 2.9 per game in his senior year at Indiana.