The Warriors on Sunday converted Braxton Key from his two-way contract to a standard NBA contract, filling Golden State’s 15th and final roster spot, the team announced.
His signing makes him eligible for the playoff roster.
The Warriors did weigh options outside of the organization before landing on Key.
Key, 28, is a 6-foot-8 center/power forward who has played 36 games in the NBA over the past four seasons. But it was his dominant play in the G League this season between the Santa Cruz Warriors and San Diego Clippers that impressed many inside Golden State, earning some high praise along the way.
“This dude’s the best player we’ve seen in the G League this year,” Santa Cruz coach Nicholas Kerr said ahead of the Sea Dubs’ game at Chase Center on March 9. “He’s a monster defender. He can get to the rim, and he’s made shots for us so far. You can tell that he’s a gamer, too.”
Kerr’s assessment is full of compliments celebrating a player who was both great for him, and great against him this past season.
It’s what he said next that surprised Key later that day.
“Maybe it’s unfair to Draymond [Green] to compare the two, because Draymond’s a four-time champion and future Hall of Famer – Braxton has some Draymond qualities,” Kerr said.
During halftime of the Warriors’ game against the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday, Green was given his award for being March’s Western Conference Defensive Player of the Month. Key also was honored at halftime that same night by the same person at center court for being the G League’s Defensive Player of the Year. Key became the third player in Santa Cruz history to win the award, joining Aaron Craft and Stefhon Hannah.
“That’s nice,” a smiling Key first said back on March 9 when told of Kerr comparing him to Green.
“I mean, that’s a Hall of Famer, Key continued. “That’s a four-time champ, that’s a Defensive Player of the Year – that’s a lot. That’s big shoes to fill. I’m definitely watching him a lot. I see myself in him for sure. Just the way he plays, and then obviously the selflessness and what he does for the team. Defensively, he’s a beast.”
Key’s locker is directly next to Green’s. It’s not the skill of the fellow small-ball center who is the Defensive Player of the Year frontrunner that stood out most to Key when they first shared the court, but his voice.
“The first thing I noticed yesterday at walkthrough was Draymond was talking during the film, saying ‘Let’s do this on that play, or let’s do that on that play’ against the Pistons,” Key said. “Just seeing him be vocal and all that was definitely … it’s not surprising.
“You always hear that about him, but it woke me up.”
In four games against Santa Cruz this season when he was playing for the Clippers’ G League affiliate, Key averaged 19.3 points on 70.5-percent shooting, 9.8 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.3 blocked shots. Then the Warriors swooped him up from San Diego the same day they converted Pat Spencer to an NBA contract on March 5, signing Key to a two-way contract. Key made an immediate impact with Santa Cruz.
That same day, Key scored 30 points on 10-of-16 shooting in his Santa Cruz debut while also having 13 rebounds, one assist, three steals and a block. Key in 11 games with Santa Cruz averaged 22.5 points, 9.9 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 3.4 steals and 0.8 blocks per game. He shot 55.4 percent from the field and 45.2 on threes. Between San Diego and Santa Cruz, Key played 33 games in the G League this season and averaged 18.4 points – on 50.5-percent shooting – 9.5 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 2.9 steals and 1.0 blocks per game.
His 130 steals didn’t just lead the G League. They’re the third-most ever for a season in G League history.
When Santa Cruz played the Mexico City Capitanes at Chase Center, in which Golden State head coach Steve Kerr was in attendance, Key scored 19 points (9-of-13 shooting) and added eight rebounds, four assists and four steals. The Warriors coach took notice, too.
“Braxton looks like a real NBA defender,” he said the next day. “He’s quick and athletic, and I think he’s another guy who could step in and play some minutes for us if needed.”
Key has appeared in three games for the Warriors, playing a total of 11 minutes. Fittingly, Key swiped two steals against the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday in the last six minutes and 43 seconds of the Warriors’ blowout win.
