Former Ohio State forward Jamison Battle has earned the opportunity to showcase his skills in front of an NBA franchise, securing a workout on Thursday with the Golden State Warriors at the Chase Center in San Francisco.
Battle is one of five NBA hopefuls who earned an invite to workout with the seven-time NBA Champion franchise, joining former Clemson center PJ Hall, former Memphis forward David Jones, former San Diego State center Jaedon LeDee — who began his collegiate career at Ohio State before transferring in 2019 — and former Colorado State guard Isaiah Stevens. The Warriors will also host 19-year-old guard Bryson Warren, who most recently played for the NBA G-League’s Sioux Falls Skyforce.
Battle will look to pique the interest of the Golden State brass after an eventful five-year collegiate career that culminated in a sensational 2023-24 season at Ohio State. The Robbinsdale, Minnesota, native — who spent two seasons at George Washington and another two at Minnesota before joining the Buckeyes — averaged 15.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game on 46.9 percent shooting in 35 games (all starts) at Ohio State, earning him an honorable mention All-Big Ten honor at the end of the season.
But perhaps Battle’s best aspect of his game is his efficient three-point shooting, a trait that can translate to the modern NBA game that increasingly revolves around the three-point line. The forward shot at a career-high 43.3 percent clip from beyond the arc in his lone season with the Buckeyes, a mark that was just .1 percentage point below former Northwestern guard Boo Buie for the Big Ten lead while ranking ninth in the nation.
Battle’s success from three can impress a Warriors’ team that has long been known to operate from beyond the arc. The franchise has helped revolutionize the NBA game thanks to the sharpshooting backcourt of veteran guards Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. Curry owns the league record for three-pointers made at 3,747, while Thompson ranks sixth all-time in that category with 2,481.
Outside of his three-point ability, Battle can also showcase his improved ability to score off the dribble and find the open man during his NBA workout, an element of his game that was on full display during the end of the 2023-24 season at Ohio State when he averaged 19.4 points on 50.9 percent shooting — 44.1 percent from three — in his final 10 games while adding 5.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists per contest.
Despite earning a workout with the Warriors, Battle is not expected to be selected in either of the two rounds of the NBA Draft held from 26-27 and will likely instead become an undrafted free agent, according to NBAMockDraftDataBase.com.
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