LJ Cryer
Lionel "LJ" Cryer Jr. is an American professional basketball player for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association, on a two-way contract with the Santa Cruz Warriors of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Baylor Bears and Houston Cougars.
Cryer played basketball for Morton Ranch High School in Katy, Texas. As a junior, he averaged 27.5 points, 5.8 assists, and 2.9 rebounds per game, earning District 19-6A MVP honors. In the regular season finale of his senior season, Cryer had a 50-point, 10-assist game against Mayde Creek High School. In his senior season, Cryer averaged 34.2 points, 5.3 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 2.4 steals per game. He finished with 3,488 career points, the most in Houston area public school history. Cryer was selected as All-Greater Houston Player of the Year by the Houston Chronicle, and repeated as District 19-6A MVP. A four-star recruit, he committed to playing college basketball for Baylor over offers from Houston, Colorado, LSU, Purdue and Stephen F. Austin, among others.
College career
Cryer received limited playing time as a freshman at Baylor, averaging 3.4 points per game as his team won the 2021 [NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|national championship]. On November 20, 2021, he scored 21 points in an 86–48 victory against Stanford. On January 29, 2022, Cryer was ruled out after aggravating a right foot injury. He averaged 13.5 points, 1.7 assists and 1.5 rebounds per game. As a junior, Cryer was named to the Third Team All-Big 12.
Professional career
After going undrafted in the 2025 NBA draft, Cryer joined the Golden State Warriors for the 2025 NBA Summer League. On June 27, 2025, he was signed to an Exhibit 10 contract. Cryer was waived by the Warriors on October 18. For the 2025–26 [NBA G League season|2025–26 season], he was added to the training camp roster of the Warriors' NBA G League affiliate, the Santa Cruz Warriors. Cryer signed a two-way contract with Golden State on December 2.
Personal life
Cryer's father, Lionel Sr., played college football as a linebacker for Grambling State. His younger brother, Justin, played the same position at Royal [High School (Texas)|Royal High School] in Brookshire, Texas, where his father served as defensive coordinator.