My Two Cents: All Summer Long, Former Hoosier Trayce Jackson-Davis Just Keeps Getting Better

Former Hoosier Trayce Jackson-Davis was a pleasant surprise during his first season in the NBA with the Golden State Warriors. He's back for more in Year 2, playing well in the Summer League in Las Vegas.

Golden State Warriors' Brandin Podziemski (left) and Trayce Jackson-Davis have been a great rookie combination. / D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports

LAS VEGAS, Nev. — It's been a year and a few days now since Trayce Jackson-Davis' NBA career began. It all started with a not-so-innocent tweet — "Y'all will regret it. ... I promise you'' — after being passed over 56 times in the 2023 NBA Draft.

He went No. 57 overall in the 58-player draft, picked by the Washington Wizards and traded right away to the Golden State Warriors, one of the iconic franchises in the NBA these days. And he's been making the other franchises regret it ever since — just as he promised in that tweet that's now been seen by more than 6 million people.

The former Indiana center, who left Bloomington as the school's No. 3 all-time leading scorer and top shot blocker and rebounder, had a terrific rookie year. During the back half of his rookie season, he played a key role with the Warriors, averaging 7.9 points and 5.0 rebounds over 68 games, including 16 starts. He scored in double-digits 27 times, and had nine double-digit rebounding games.

When the NBA's All-Rookie teams were announced, he was just outside the two five-man teams, finishing 11th overall in the voting.

That's No. 11 — not No. 57.

His first bit of pro action came right here in Las Vegas a year ago during the 2023 NBA Summer League, and I was glad to be here for it in person. Now, a year later, he's back. Despite already having a busy summer — he was selected to the USA National Select team to practice with the U.S. Olympians — he wanted to be part of the Warriors' summer team, along with 2023 first-round pick Brandin Podziemski — and he's here in Vegas playing again.

He played Saturday and Sunday night, and the Warriors won twice. He had 10 points and seven rebounds in a 90-73 win over Phoenix and then had a double-double Sunday night, going for 17 and 10 in a 92-82 win over the Chicago Bulls. He also had a nasty blocked shot and solid defense through both games.

He loves being a Warrior, and loves helping all the new guys this summer. He's running up and down the floor and smiling all the time.

He's a pro's pro, just like he planned.

“Everyone has team camaraderie off the court. We like each other. Everyone is supporting the team,” Jackson-Davis said of his time with the Warriors' Summer League team. “That’s a good thing to have because in summer league sometimes, everyone’s just trying to get their shots. But I feel like we play the right way and play like how Golden State would want us to.”

“Me and BP grew as players — just leading a team. Just going out there and competing, I think we both did that. … I thought we did our job.”

It's not uncommon for second-year guys to get a little run in the NBA Summer League. Nearly a dozen first-round picks from 2023 are here. Jackson-Davis has two games in, but that just might be it. The Warriors still haven't decided if he'll play in their other two games — on Wednesday and Friday. We'll have to wait and see, but at least we got a nice taste for a couple of days.

“My wish list is that they play, but we have to look at the big picture,” Warriors summer league coach Anthony Vereen said after Sunday night's game. "They try to play the right way. They’re competing. And they’re working on the things we’ve deemed necessary for them to get better (at). It’s been a pleasure to coach them, and I hope I get to coach them a little bit longer.”

This Trayce Jackson-Davis block in #PhantomCam. 👀🔥

📺 Bulls-Warriors | Live on ESPN2 pic.twitter.com/9FpRAB5Dly

— NBA (@NBA) July 15, 2024

Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy said playing time at any level is a big deal. He's glad Jackson-Davis and Podiemski were part of those Olympic workouts, and he's glad they are getting some run in Summer League. “The biggest thing with young players is getting reps. We love their commitment to being here this week. They’ll get some game action.”

Jackson-Davis is enjoying this summer run, and he feels much more comfortable in Year 2. He's also healthy, which is great, because he dealt with hamstring issues last summer that forced him to miss some time. He'd like to continue playin here in Vegas, but he also knows the injury risks.

Jackson-Davis said being back here in Las Vegas felt like a “full circle" moment. "Last year at this time, I was nervous, he said. “Just being back out here, being with this organization, to just have the relationships that I’ve built has been huge.

“My teammates put me in great positions, At the same time, you’ve got to think of some of the things that have happened, we’ve seen some injuries go down. We’re going to re-evaluate, and then see what’s going to go on from there.”

Vereen likes having Jackson-Davis and Podiemski around because they were called up to make big plays late in close games. They've done that. It's a growth moment, too.

“I just want them to take full advantage of these opportunities, to have a good time playing and to see what it feels like to kind of have the game on their shoulders,” Vereen said. “It’s a role that they want to grow into eventually, so as much as we can have that, I would love it. I don’t know how many games they will play. I just know as long as they’re out there, I feel like we have a good chance to get a win.” 

Jackson-Davis and the Warriors are in a bit of transition right now. The recent four-time NBA champions — 2015, 2017, 2018, 2022 — have moved on from sharp-shooting legend Klay Thompson and waived veteran point guard Chris Paul. Stephen Curry and Draymond Green are still around, and they feel like their title-chasing window is still open.

They're looking forward to having Jackson-Davis and Podiemski be a big part of that bounce-back season next year. The Warriors were 46-36 a year ago and missed the playoffs after losing a Play-In game to the Sacramento Kings.

Jackson-Davis has kept all of his promises so far — and there's more to accomplish.

Much more.

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