Virginia Guard Reece Beekman Signs Two-Way Deal With Golden State Warriors

Matt Newton | Jun 27, 2024

Virginia men's basketball guard Reece Beekman has reportedly signed a two-way deal with the Golden State Warriors. / Atlantic Coast Conference

As expected, it didn't take long for Virginia guard Reece Beekman to get picked up by a team following the conclusion of the 2024 NBA Draft. According to a report from Shams Charania on Thursday evening, Beekman has signed a two-way deal to join the Golden State Warriors.

Players on two-way contracts split time between an NBA team and its G League affiliate - in this case, the Santa Cruz Warriors - and can be active for up to 50 games with the NBA team. Each NBA team can roster three two-way players at a time.

Virginia's Reece Beekman has agreed to a two-way NBA deal with the Warriors, sources say.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 27, 2024

Though he technically had another year of eligibility, Beekman made the decision to go to the next level after a senior season that saw him average 14.3 points, 6.2 assists, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.0 steals per game and become the first Cavalier to ever win back-to-back ACC Defensive Player of the Year awards and just the third player from any school to win the award in consecutive seasons. Beekman ended his career as a three-time All-ACC selection, a three-time ACC All-Defensive Team selection, UVA's all-time leader in steals with 228, and third in career assists with 636, trailing only John Crotty and Kihei Clark.

Perhaps most impressive about his college career was that Beekman was a four-year starter at Virginia, where it is notoriously difficult for freshmen to earn significant playing time under Tony Bennett. Beekman started 20 of 25 games as a first year and started every game he played after that, finishing with 126 games played, 121 starts, and 4,122 minutes on the floor.

That Beekman ended up with Golden State might have had something to do with what happened on January 18th, 2023, as Beekman put on a show with 16 points and seven assists to lead Virginia to a 78-68 victory over Virginia Tech with Stephen Curry and then-Golden State Warrior Ty Jerome sitting courtside at John Paul Jones Arena. Curry and Jerome were both quite impressed with this dunk Beekman threw down right before halftime.

A year and a half later, Beekman will look to become teammates on the Warriors with Stephen Curry, who is widely considered to be the greatest shooter in the history of the NBA.

Whether Beekman's starting point as a two-way player allows him to eventually become a regular player in the NBA will largely depend on his three-point shooting ability, as he regressed as a perimeter shooter in his senior season, shooting 31.0%, down from 35.1% the season prior. Fortunately for Beekman, he's headed to a team that knows a thing or about shooting from beyond the arc in Golden State. In summer league action, training camp, preseason games, and most likely, G League games, Beekman will look to develop his jumper to the point where Steve Kerr and the Warriors are willing to give him a shot in the NBA.

More Virginia Basketball News

NBA Draft Grades: Phoenix Suns Getting High Marks for Ryan Dunn Selection

Malcolm Brogdon Traded to Washington Wizards from Portland Trail Blazers

Virginia Basketball: Four-Star PG Chance Mallory Includes UVA in Top Six

Jersey Numbers Revealed for Virginia Basketball's Newcomers in 2024-2025