Graham Ike ranked among NBA Summer League’s most impactful rookies

There were a lot of reasons NBA teams hesitated on Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Graham Ike.

His advanced age, injury history, and perceived size disadvantage at 6'9 had virtually no one projecting Ike to get selected in the 2026 NBA draft - and indeed the All-American ultimately settled for an Exhibit 10 contract with the Golden State Warriors after going undrafted.

But count out Gonzaga big men at your own peril. Ike has proven time and time again he knows how to do whatever it takes to win, and so far he has looked every bit the part of an NBA big man during summer league.

In fact, through Wednesday's action, Ike had the third highest box plus/minus among all rookies during NBA Summer League, coming in behind his Warriors teammate Yaxel Lendeborg and No. 2 overall pick Darryn Peterson of the Utah Jazz.

No. 3 pick Cam Boozer was No. 4 while No. 8 pick, and former Gonzaga recruiting target, Kingston Flemings rounded out the top five.

The best rookies in Summer League by BPM:

1. Yaxel Lendeborg (15.9)
2. Darryn Peterson (7.3)
3. Graham Ike (7.2)
4. Cameron Boozer (6.2)
5. Kingston Flemings (5.4)

Yaxel Lendeborg has the highest recorded Summer League BPM of all time thus far.
— Logan Adams (@LoganPAdams) July 14, 2026

Box plus minus is a box score based metric that attempts to encapsulate a player's contribution on the court, using box score information, position, and the team's overall performance.

Golden Graham

Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Graham Ike (15). | Photo by Myk Crawford

Ike has played three games with the Warriors in NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, averaging 8.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.3 turnovers in 20 minutes per game. The big man is shooting 9-19 on twos (47.3%), 1-2 from 3, and 3-3 from the free throw line.

Those numbers are just from the Vegas summer league, but Ike was equally as solid during the California summer league as well - averaging 9.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.3 blocks in 19.5 MPG in three contests.

While the big man didn't immediately receive a coveted two-way contract, it wouldn't be a surprise to see the Warriors sign him soon given his performance these last few weeks - and the team's need for more depth in the frontcourt.

While GSW recently signed 6'10 Charles Bassey, a frontcourt consistenting of oft-injured Kristaps Porzingis, 40-year-old Al Horford, Bassey, and 6'6 36-year-old Draymond Green is not exactly a paragon of reliability. Ike could easily give this team much needed depth as a third center, while developing regularly with the Santa Cruz Warriors in the G League.

Ike may be limited defensively, but his massive wingspan, physicality down on the block, strong screen setting, high basketball IQ, and tenacious mentality and leadership skill more than make up for those limitations - and has gotten him noticed by teammates.

He's a great, great guy," Lendeborg said when asked about his new teammate. "His physicality, the voice that he brings is something that provides energy for everybody."

Golden State plays the New York Knicks on Thursday at 4:00 PM PT on ESPN2 to close out the summer league regular season.

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