Aussie NBA stud Alex Toohey brutally axed by Golden State Warriors after season-ending injury

Alex Toohey’s rookie season in the NBA is over before it could even begin, with a season-ending injury leading to the Golden State Warriors waiving his contract.

Alex Toohey’s rough start to his NBA career has taken a turn for the worse, after the former NBL Next Star was cut by the Golden State Warriors just a quarter of the way through his rookie season.

Toohey was taken with the 52nd pick in the 2025 NBA Draft following two impressive years with the Sydney Kings, but the Australian wing struggled to find his way onto the court in his first year with the Warriors, and has now been ruled out for the season requiring knee surgery.

Code Sports has been told Toohey will have surgery on his knee on Tuesday in America - Wednesay in Australia - and will stay in the States to complete his rehab.

This injury has seen Golden State move on from the 21-year-old, opting to bring in former Oklahoma City Thunder player Malevy Leons, according to ESPN’s Anthony Slater.

It is a cruel blow for Toohey, who had appeared in just two games for the Santa Cruz Warriors this season - Golden State’s G League affiliate - averaging seven points and three rebounds per game.

The jumbo two-way wing was viewed as a project by the Warriors, whose core of Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green made them a title contending squad, leaving little room for Toohey to find his feet early in the season.

“I’m not expecting to come in and play a 1000 minutes a game, but more importantly get used to the systems and keep developing my body and IQ,” Toohey told CODE Sports ahead of the season.

“Then just being willing to learn from the coach and fellow players.

“I spoke to Steve the night I was drafted, which was so cool. It’s hard to describe the moment. Just grateful to have that connection with one of the greatest people in this field of basketball ever.

Toohey was drafted with the 52nd pick. Picture: Scott Strazzante/San Francisco Chronicle via AP

He impressed in Summer League but has had his rookie year cut short. Picture: Santiago Mejia/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images

“It’s definitely a privilege.

“There is that connection there with Bogut and Longley and Steve was excited. “He said he knows I’m the type of basketball player they like to have in their organisation and he has heard some pretty good things about me.”

Toohey was one of four Australians taken in the second round of this year’s draft, alongside Cleveland’s Tyrese Proctor, Minnesota’s Rocco Zikarsky and Chicago’s Lachlan Olbrich.

Among this quartet, Proctor and Olbrich have seen NBA regular season action, while Zikarsky took to the floor during pre-season and has been dominating in the G League.

Originally published as Aussie NBA stud Alex Toohey brutally axed by Golden State Warriors after season-ending injury