Has 'glue guy' Olbrich done enough to earn new contract?

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Has 'glue guy' Olbrich done enough to earn new contract?

Australian forward Lachlan Olbrich shoots a free throw for the Golden State Warriors in the 2026 Summer League in Las Vegas. Photo: Getty Images.

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Highlights

Lachlan Olbrich embraced a Draymond Green-style role as Golden State won the Summer League title

Australian forward Lachlan Olbrich went into the 2026 Summer League with Golden State Warriors with a specific goal, to be "the ultimate glue guy".

The 22-year-old finished the American summer as a champion – trying to emulate his game around the one player Golden State's system is built to accommodate.

"Being the ultimate glue guy, connector guy, kind of what Draymond Green does with Golden State," Olbrich told the Mercury News.

"I'm just trying to be better in those areas, being able to defend all five positions is what I'm trying to get to, and just getting the ball from side to side."

Olbrich, who hurt his ankle in Las Vegas, averaged 13.3 points across three California Classic games in early July, including a 21-point night against Miami on 7 July in which he did not miss, going 7-from-7 from the field. By the end of Las Vegas he was averaging 6.4 points in 14.2 minutes.

"He gives us playmaking at the five, he's a tougher rebounder, and he's like a quarterback behind the play with his communication with other defenders," Warriors summer league coach Khalid Robinson told the Mercury News.

That is a description of future Hall of Famer Green's job. In the championship game on July 21 (AEST), he logged 16 minutes off the bench for two points and three rebounds as Golden State beat Memphis 94-90 at the Thomas & Mack Center, closing a 5-1 campaign with the title.

Olbrich was a second-round pick of the Bulls in 2025 and averaged 2.4 points and 3.0 rebounds in 37 appearances as a two-way player, with a triple-double in April. He was let go after Bryson Graham replaced Artūras Karnišovas as Chicago's head of basketball operations.

"I was almost expecting it just because of the management change," Olbrich told the Mercury News. "At the end of the day, it's a business."

Golden State was then an easy choice, because the role on offer was the one he wanted. His minutes narrowed as the rotation tightened around Deivon Smith, Yaxel Lendeborg and LJ Cryer; his only absence, against New York on July 17 2026 (AEST), was a coach's decision. He was still on the floor for the final.

Why it's important

Olbrich's most realistic next step is Santa Cruz, Golden State's G League affiliate. The Warriors' frontcourt carries Al Horford, Kristaps Porzingis and, presumably, Green himself – all of them the wrong side of 30. A connective big who already speaks the system's language is a useful thing to have developing one level down.

Elsewhere for the Australians

William "Davo" Hickey produced the summer's quiet surprise, starting five straight games at point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers, who won four of them. He opened with nine points, seven rebounds and three assists against Oklahoma City on July 12, 2026 (AEST) and held the job until the Lakers' unbeaten run ended 92-88 against Golden State in the semi-final. He averaged 4.0 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 14.0 minutes – and, like Olbrich, was not there to score.

Australian centre Rocco Zikarsky #44 of the Minnesota Timberwolves brings the ball up the floor during the NBA Summer League game against the Indiana Pacers at Cox Pavilion on July 16, 2026 (AEST) in Las Vegas, Nevada. Photo: David Becker/NBAE via Getty Images

Rocco Zikarsky was the most productive Australian in the tournament, averaging 12.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in 24.4 minutes across five starts at 50 per cent from the field. He and Hickey were the only two Australians to start every Las Vegas game they played.

Alex Toohey, 22, did not play a minute. The Canberra forward was on Golden State's roster while still working back from the knee injury that ended his first NBA season and cost him his two-way contract in December.

"I think hopefully before next season, somewhere in that time frame, I should be back," Toohey told NBL colour commentator Brad Rosen in Las Vegas.

Key takeaways

The role was the point, not the points. Olbrich named the job he wanted – Green's – and the Warriors handed it to him. His scoring fell as he got better at it.
A title is the only one of its kind this summer. No other Australian finished the 2026 Summer League as a champion.
Hickey's five starts were the surprise. An NBL guard ran an NBA franchise's summer offence for five straight games.
Zikarsky carried the heaviest workload. His 24.4 minutes a game were the most of any Australian.
The California Classic mattered. Nine of the group played it. Judge these players on Las Vegas alone and you miss Olbrich's best basketball of the summer.

Australian guard Anthony Dell'Orso #37 of the Sacramento Kings attacks the basket during an NBA California Classic game against the Golden State Warriors at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. Dell'Orso scored his first NBA Summer League points later in Las Vegas, finishing with seven points on a perfect three-from-three shooting performance against the Brooklyn Nets. (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)

2026 NBA Summer League — Australian & NBL-linked players

14 players tracked · 67 games played from 97 squad appearances · Las Vegas, California Classic and Salt Lake City · averages exclude DNPs


Rocco ZikarskyMIN	5	24.4	12.2	5.8	1.6	25-50	50.0	3-14	21.4	4-14	28.6	Minnesota TimberwolvesMIN	5	2.0	3.8	0.2	1.8	1.6	2.0	LV
Flynn CameronPOR	4	14.5	10.3	3.5	3.3	15-30	50.0	6-14	42.9	3-5	60.0	Portland Trail BlazersPOR	0	1.3	2.3	0.5	0.0	2.0	2.0	LV
Lachlan OlbrichGSW	8	15.9	9.0	3.1	1.9	24-41	58.5	2-4	50.0	11-21	52.4	Golden State WarriorsGSW	0	1.3	1.9	0.6	0.4	1.8	3.3	CC LV
Lee Hyun-jungSAS	8	17.3	8.6	3.8	1.1	18-51	35.3	11-38	28.9	12-14	85.7	San Antonio SpursSAS	1	0.9	2.9	0.9	0.5	1.0	1.1	CC LV
Luke TraversMIL	6	15.2	4.8	2.8	1.5	10-34	29.4	5-17	29.4	2-2	100.0	Milwaukee BucksMIL	0	0.8	2.0	0.8	0.0	1.5	0.3	CC LV
Malique LewisMIL	4	15.0	4.8	3.3	1.3	5-17	29.4	2-8	25.0	4-4	100.0	Milwaukee BucksMIL	2	1.3	2.0	0.5	0.5	1.8	1.5	CC LV
Oscar CluffHOU	5	18.4	4.0	7.6	0.4	7-15	46.7	0-5	0.0	3-5	60.0	Houston RocketsHOU	0	1.4	6.2	0.4	0.6	0.8	2.4	LV
William HickeyLAL	7	16.1	3.6	3.9	3.0	9-23	39.1	3-8	37.5	2-4	50.0	Los Angeles LakersLAL	7	1.1	2.7	1.0	0.4	1.1	2.0	CC LV
Harry WesselsSAS	5	8.4	3.2	3.2	0.2	7-10	70.0	0-0	—	1-1	100.0	San Antonio SpursSAS	0	1.6	1.6	0.0	0.8	0.8	0.8	CC LV
Anthony Dell'OrsoSAC	4	11.0	3.0	1.3	1.3	5-11	45.5	2-6	33.3	0-0	—	Sacramento KingsSAC	1	0.5	0.8	0.5	0.0	0.5	0.3	CC LV
Max MacKinnonCHA	3	7.0	1.7	0.3	0.3	2-6	33.3	1-4	25.0	0-0	—	Charlotte HornetsCHA	0	0.3	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.7	1.3	LV
Kuany KuanyMIL	3	6.3	0.7	1.3	0.0	1-4	25.0	0-1	0.0	0-3	0.0	Milwaukee BucksMIL	0	0.3	1.0	0.7	0.0	0.7	0.7	CC LV
Will JohnstonNYK	4	12.3	0.5	1.3	0.3	1-7	14.3	0-3	0.0	0-1	0.0	New York KnicksNYK	0	0.0	1.3	0.5	0.0	0.0	1.3	LV
Karim Lopez1 gameMEM	1	11.0	0.0	4.0	0.0	0-1	0.0	0-0	—	0-0	—	Memphis GrizzliesMEM	0	1.0	3.0	1.0	2.0	2.0	3.0	LV SLC

Every 2026 NBA Summer League appearance by the 14 Australian and NBL-linked players, across all three competitions — Las Vegas (76 games), the California Classic (12) and Salt Lake City (6). Averages exclude games not played; GP counts games played, not squad appearances. Shooting percentages are summed makes over summed attempts, not averaged per-game percentages, and the made-attempted splits are shown. Karim Lopez played one game from seven squad appearances — his line is a single game, not a verdict. Alex Toohey was on Golden State's roster for nine games and did not play, so he does not appear. Lachlan Olbrich's franchise is shown as Golden State Warriors throughout; the California Classic entry was “Warriors Gold”.

Explore Every Game by Player Below

Rocco Zikarsky MIN · 5 games · 12.2 pts · 5.8 reb · 1.6 ast