Getty Ryan Rollins looks to make a move in a Toledo game.
The Golden State Warriors will need to wait to see what their rookie guard can do on the court after a newly revealed injury, and their plans for putting him on the roster next season could be at risk.
The team announced on Wednesday that second-round draft pick Ryan Rollins had suffered a foot injury, which was discovered during his first physical with the team. The Toledo guard will miss his first chance to take the court for the Warriors, and the injury could throw a wrench in the team’s roster plans for the upcoming season.
The latest Warriors news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Warriors newsletter here!
Rollins to Miss Summer League
The Warriors revealed the injury to Rollins in a statement released on Twitter, noting that it was discovered during his onboarding process with the team.
“Warriors guard Ryan Rollins, who was selected with the #44 overall pick in last week’s NBA Draft, has a stress fracture in the fifth metatarsal in his right foot,” the team said. “The injury was detected during his on-boarding medical evaluation. He will be re-evaluated again at the end of Summer League in Las Vegas.”
Ryan Rollins said he doesn’t feel any discomfort in his foot and didn’t even know anything was wrong with it.
It was discovered during his mandatory physical.
It’s not clear exactly how much time Rollins could miss, but The Athletic’s Anthony Slater noted he will not be able to play in the upcoming Summer League, and the team’s plans of having him on the 15-man roster could be at risk.
Dr. Nirav Pandya, an injury analyst for 95.7 The Game, noted that Rollins could be out for most of the summer and toward training camp.
“Tough injury for Ryan Rollins,” he tweeted. “These injuries typically take 10-14 weeks before returning to play. If treated surgically, it can be even longer. Re-fracture is a concern as well. The good news is that once healed, there is typically minimal impact on performance.”
Warriors High on Rollins
The Warriors had high hopes for Rollins. General manager Bob Myers told The Athletic’s Anthony Slater that they intended to have him on the 15-man roster, though he would likely spend the majority of his rookie season with the G League affiliate in Santa Cruz.
As Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area reported, the Toledo guard made quite an impression on Warriors head coach Steve Kerr during the evaluation process.
“I’m more of an observer during the draft. And when we go to The Finals, there’s no time to take part in any of it,” Kerr told NBC Sports Bay Area.
On draft night, Warriors general manager Bob Myers told reporters that he expects the 44th overall pick to make the 15-man roster next season, but without competing in summer league that will be increasingly difficult.
“But I happened to see Ryan Rollins’ workout. I was on the elliptical after practice one day, getting my workout in, and there were six guys on the floor. And he just jumped off the page.”
Kerr said told assistant general manager Mike Dunleavy how much he liked Rollins, and Myers agreed enough to swing a deal to land him. The Warriors traded the No. 51 overall pick and another $2 million to the Atlanta Hawks to secure his fights with the No. 44 overall pick.
“We didn’t think he’d make it that far (to No. 51),” Myers said after the draft. “The gap between Rollins and the next guy we had was pretty high. And that’s why we made the move to try to get up to No. 44.”