Getty Kaleb Wesson prepares to take a shot against the Minnesota Gophers.
After dropping out of this summer’s version of the TBT, former Ohio State star Kaleb Wesson could be giving another go at making the Golden State Warriors roster.
Jared Sullinger, the head coach of Carmen’s Crew, announced that Wesson was opting out of the TBT roster and looking to play in the NBA Summer League. While it’s not confirmed where Wesson will be playing, he seems to be a strong candidate to return to Golden State after playing on the Santa Cruz Warriors and getting a camp invite last season.
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Wesson Leaves TBT
As Andrew Lind of Sports Illustrated’s Buckeyes Now noted, Wesson committed to play with other OSU alums in The Basketball Tournament for each of the last two summers but has now opted out both times. Wesson said he instead plans to play in the NBA’s Summer League from August 8-17 in Las Vegas.
The departure is significant, with Wesson passing up the chance at splitting the $1 million prize that goes to the TBT winner. Carmen’s Crew had the No. 1 seed in the tournament, with their first game scheduled for July 23 against Mid-American Unity.
Kaleb Wesson will play in the NBA Summer League from Aug. 8-17. As a result, he will not take part in the TBT Tournament with Carmens Crew.
Wesson appears a strong candidate to join the Warriors squad. He played for the G League’s Santa Cruz Warriors last year, averaging 9.9 points and 9.2 rebounds in 13 games. The former Buckeyes center later signed a contract to join Belgium’s Filou Oostende of the EuroMillions Basketball League, but had to drop out before playing a game after re-aggravating a knee injury. Wesson went undrafted after averaging 14 points and 9.3 rebounds per game for Ohio State in the 2019-20 season.
Wesson a Previous Candidate to Make Warriors Roster
The Warriors appear to be high on Wesson, inviting him to training camp last November. At the time, the 6-foot-9 center earned some praise from Warriors coach Steve Kerr for the progress he made throughout camp.
“I really like Kaleb,” Kerr said, via the San Francisco Chronicle. “He’s only been here 10 or 11 days, and I think he’s miles ahead now of where he was when he started. I really like him on a personal level. He’s very professional and steady and serious-minded about his work.”
Though he didn’t make the roster at the time, many insiders believed that Wesson was one of the top candidates to fill one of the roster spots opened up by a pair of trade-deadline deals. In March, Wes Goldberg of the Mercury News noted that Wesson seemed to have an inside track on fellow Sea Dubs teammate and former Warriors guard Jeremy Lin.
“And despite many fans hoping to see Jeremy Lin in Golden State, that appears unlikely,” Goldberg wrote in response to a fan asking the odds of seeing Lin take one of the team’s open roster spots. “However, the Warriors could award other players from their G League affiliate with an NBA tryout, such as center Kaleb Wesson and guard Ryan Taylor. Wesson, a 21-year-old undrafted rookie out of Ohio State, has shown potential as a shot-blocking and floor-spacing big man.”
While neither ended up making it up to Golden State, Wesson could not have another chance in the coming weeks should he join the Warriors Summer League roster.
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