Juan Toscano-Anderson’s time with the Golden State Warriors has come to an end. After winning the 2022 NBA Championship last month with his hometown team and becoming only the second player of Mexican descent in NBA history to win a title, Toscano-Anderson will apparently be taking his talents to Tinsel Town as the newest member of the Los Angeles Lakers.
The news was confirmed by Toscano-Anderson’s agent Erika Ruiz to Yahoo Sports. The move comes after Golden State decided not to extend a qualifying offer to him, thus making him a free agent. The Oakland native had been with the Warriors on a full-time basis since May 2021.
“In a perfect world, I would have loved to stay home and stay with this team,” Toscano-Anderson told The Athletic. “It ain’t even about the Warriors. It’s about that locker room. That locker room is incredible. And that starts from the top down. Playing with No. 30, No. 23, No. 11, that’s an incredible experience.”
He added: “This is deeper than just playing for the Warriors. Wherever I go, I hope I find something similar — which I understand is gonna be hard to match. I just wish people understood what that locker room’s like. It was a hell of a time. When I get the opportunity to compete and show what I can do, then I’ma do that.”
Toscano-Anderson’s road to the NBA was an uncertain one. After going undrafted in the 2015 NBA Draft, he started playing professional basketball in Mexico’s Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional and the Liga Profesional de Baloncesto in Venezuela. He also played for the Santa Cruz Warriors in the NBA’s G League.
“At the end of the day, some of those things are out of my control,” Juan Toscano-Anderson said. “It’s the way the cards fell. And, you know, I’m lucky to have a job, man. Gratitude. That’s what I wake up and remind myself of every day. Just be grateful that I have a job.”