E
ven though the NBA playoffs are in full swing, that is not stopping the mock drafts from rolling in. On Wednesday, June 25th, the 2025 NBA Draft will take place, marking a new era of basketball. For the rookies that are entering, they will wait eagerly and patiently for their names to be called.
For the Golden State Warriors, this year’s draft will see them only have one pick. And according to the latest mock draft done by The Athletic, the Warriors are projected to use the 41st overall pick on Wisconsin wing, John Tonje. With depth being a problem for the Warriors, especially over the last couple of seasons, using their lone pick on Tonje would not come as a surprise.
What Tonje could bring
At 24-years-old and playing six years of college basketball, Tonje would be on the older side for a rookie entering the league. But after averaging 19.6 points in one season with the Badgers, he has started to gain considerable interest for the NBA, with his scoring ability catching the attention of scouts. Wisconsin Badgers on SI writer, Lorin Cox, stated that while Tonje could be a project player, joining a team like the Warriors will help him flourish into an effective role player in the league.
“While he’s likely to remain in that second-round range, a landing spot like Golden State could be ideal,” Cox wrote. “Veteran teammates like Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green could provide excellent mentors who can show him what it takes to succeed at the professional level.”
At six-foot-five and weighing 218 pounds, Tonje has good size for the NBA and with Gary Payton II expected to hit free agency at the end of the season, the Warriors could opt for a cheaper option to replace him if a new deal is not reached, with Tonje being the ideal candidate. And if Tonje does end up getting drafted, he would be only the second Wisconsin player, after Johnny Davis, to be selected in the last decade.
“It could be an uphill battle for him to stick on a Warriors’ roster loaded with talent, but veteran guard Gary Payton II is set to hit free agency, and a player like Tonje could step in and provide a much cheaper alternative to come off the bench,” Cox added.
Tonje’s college career thus far
Despite a strong prep career, Tonje received limited interest out of high school. Therefore, he began his college career at Colorado State, playing four seasons under Rams’ head coach, Niko Medved. For the first three seasons, Tonje came off the bench and broke out in 2021-22, averaging 9.1 points, 3.0 rebounds and 0.9 assists in 3o games played (12 starts).
But in 2022-23, Tonje firmly put his name on the map. Starting all 33 games for the first time in his career, he averaged 14.6 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists in his final season with Colorado State, transferring to Missouri following the campaign. But after a rough season at Missouri, averaging only 2.6 points in eight games played, Tonje transferred to Wisconsin for his final season of college basketball.
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