The Golden State Warriors’ G League affiliate, the Santa Cruz Warriors, just made a notable move. They picked up center Charles Bassey in a trade on Saturday. This deal brings a pretty experienced big man to Santa Cruz, and he’s a former San Antonio Spurs player. It’s an interesting transaction, one that some are calling an underrated G League trade for the Warriors.
The main Golden State team is still looking at center options. That’s for the February mid-season deadline, you know. But their G League squad didn’t wait around. They’ve already beefed up their big man rotation.
Santa Cruz Acquires Five-Year NBA Veteran
The Warriors officially got Charles Bassey. He’s a five-year NBA veteran, actually. The trade was with the Delaware Blue Coats. It happened recently, on a Saturday. And this deal also confirmed something else. Forward Jackson Rowe left the team. Golden State waived him earlier in the month.
So, Bassey is joining Santa Cruz now. He brings 115 games of NBA experience with him. That’s a decent amount for a G League player, right? Most of those games were with the San Antonio Spurs. He played three seasons there. Last season was his career-high with the Spurs, 36 games.
During that time, he averaged 4.4 points. He also grabbed 4.2 rebounds. And he got 0.8 blocks per game, shooting 58.1% from the floor. He’s a 6’10” center, pretty solid size.
Bassey’s Journey Through the NBA Ranks
Bassey’s story is kinda interesting. The Philadelphia 76ers drafted him in 2021. He was the 53rd overall pick that year. He played 23 games as a rookie for them. But then the Sixers waived him. The Spurs saw something, though. They quickly signed Bassey to a two-way contract. He was with them for a bit.
But then, he wasn’t eligible for a two-way deal anymore. So, it wasn’t a huge surprise when the Spurs let him go last offseason. He then went to the Atlanta Hawks training camp. But he got waived before the regular season even started.
After that, he had a short stint. He joined the Memphis Grizzlies on a 10-day hardship contract. Memphis had a ton of injuries to their big men then. He only played two games there. Averaged 3.5 points and 7.5 rebounds in about 15.5 minutes. Then he was waived again. Dalton Johnson, a pretty reliable reporter, called it an “interesting under the radar move” on December 27, 2025 when the news broke.
What This Means for the Warriors’ Main Roster
This G League move could be a sign of things to come for Golden State. The main Warriors team is really looking at their center options. They have the February trade deadline coming up fast. Reports are linking them to some big names. Nic Claxton, Daniel Gafford, and Robert Williams III have been mentioned as trade targets, apparently. Some sources even linked them to a huge move for All-Star Anthony Davis, which is wild.
So, Bassey is definitely a player to watch in the G League program. He joins some other intriguing guys there. LJ Cryer and Malevy Leons are also on two-way contracts. They’re all fascinating to follow for the rest of the Santa Cruz season.
Right now, his chances of getting on the main Golden State roster seem pretty slim. There isn’t really any room for him. But things can change fast in the NBA. If the Warriors make a consolidation trade, for example. That means they’d send out more players than they bring in. That could open up a spot. So, the next six weeks or so of G League action are super important for Bassey.
Other G League teams are active too, you know. The Iowa Wolves, for instance, got Jalen Crutcher in a three-team trade, as their official press release stated. And the Texas Legends recently completed a trade with the OKC Blue. That involved draft picks and the returning rights to Zhaire Smith, according to their announcement. The entire league, from top to bottom, is always making moves. ESPN covers all the NBA news, big and small.
Looking Ahead for Bassey
Charles Bassey is now a Santa Cruz Warrior. He’s got NBA experience, which is a big plus. He’s a name to keep an eye on. Can he make an impact? Will he surprise people in Santa Cruz? We’ll just have to wait and see how he performs in the coming weeks. It’s an interesting move for the Warriors’ minor league system.
Tanya Singh 
Annsly Raena 
Soureesh Datta