OKLAHOMA CITY — Rookies Trayce Jackson-Davis and Brandin Podziemski were assigned to the G League team in Santa Cruz and didn’t travel with the Warriors for Friday’s game in Oklahoma City.
Though both rookies have played well in their brief appearances with the Warriors, the decision came down to opportunity.
Podziemski, 20, and Jackson-Davis, 23, are on the fringes of the rotation and wouldn’t get consistent minutes with the NBA team, coach Steve Kerr said. The two will join the Santa Cruz team for their training camp opener to keep them in action and off the bench.
“A lot of great drill work, scrimmage time and with neither guy in the rotation right now, we felt like it was better time spent there,” Kerr said. “Then they’ll rejoin the team soon.”
Two-way players Usman Garuba and Jerome Robinson were activated for Friday’s game against the Thunder to fill their spots.
Jackson-Davis, and Podziemski were solid contributors in their few game opportunities. The 6-foot-9 center center Jackson-Davis thrived in the dunker spot as a scorer at the rim and smart defender. His standout game came in a 20-minute stint against the New Orleans Pelicans in which he nearly recorded a double-double — nine rebounds and 13 points — with four blocks. Jackson-Davis can give the Warriors some much-needed size, particularly on the defensive end, behind Kevon Looney and Draymond Green as the season progresses.
Podziemksi, a guard, made his debut and played his only game against the Pelicans — getting minutes over veteran point guard Cory Joseph — and wrangled eight rebounds and two assists with five points.
The Warriors selected Podziemski 19th overall out of Santa Clara and traded to pick Jackson-Davis 57th overall in the second round of the 2023 Draft.