Up by two with less than a minute left in the fourth quarter, center Alen Smailagic got the ball on the left wing, pump faked his defender, took two dribbles and laid down a right-handed dunk through three defenders.

The tomahawk put the finishing touches on the Santa Cruz Warriors’ win over the Agua Caliente Clippers Tuesday. Smailagic, in his second season with Golden State’s G League affiliate, finished with a career-high 29 points.

“He loves to catch it beyond the arc and just drive it right down your throat and dunk it in your face,” Santa Cruz broadcaster Kevin Danna said. “That’s what he wants to do. He wants to ruin your mood.”

Smailagic is a long-term project for the Warriors. Though he is not expected to play a significant role for Golden State this season, the 19-year-old from Serbia has shown in Santa Cruz why the organization is emboldened by his development.

Recent highlights and stat lines have caught the attention of coaches, as well as fans, but multiple sources told Bay Area News Group that Smailagic is at least another season away from contributing as a rotation player in Golden State.

Little more than a year removed from Serbia’s semiprofessional third division, Smailagic (pronounced SMI-la-geech) has emerged as one of the best players in the G League. He flashes natural shooting touch and passing ability that should translate to the next level, and his blend of size and skill makes him an ideal frontcourt player for the modern NBA.

While the Warriors are leaning toward Smailagic playing center, they have not ruled out him developing into a power forward. Under coach Steve Kerr, 4s and 5s can be interchangeable — as seen with current frontcourt players Marquese Chriss, Omari Spellman and Kevon Looney.

“He can play both of those positions,” Warriors director of player development Kent Lacob said. “He has the ability to develop into a 4 or a 5.”

Smailagic’s ability to space the floor should allow him to play both. Because Smailagic has a natural shooting touch, Warriors coaches have only made small tweaks to his form.

Over the summer, player development coach Seth Cooper worked with Smailagic to tighten his mechanics and adjust his release point. He’s gone from shooting 24.4% on 1.7 3-point attempts per game in his first G League season to 42.9% on 4.7 3-point attempts per game.

With the numbers to back up his confidence, he frequently hunts for his own shot. He does a nice job of making sure he’s beyond the 3-point line, eschewing inefficient long 2-pointers.

As he gets stronger, his screens will improve, which will help him become an effective pick-and-pop player. Already, he has an impressive handle, and looks for excuses to attack the basket. When he has momentum, he can sometimes resemble a 6-foot-9 Luka Doncic.

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Warriors at No. 2: Breaking down how LaMelo Ball’s passing genius would fit Golden State Defensively, Smailagic still needs to improve his technique and get stronger. In the G League, he is comfortable guarding centers, but the Warriors have him on a carefully-crafted workout regimen to make sure he can one day contend with the bigger bodies that await him in the NBA.

His fitness plan also includes improving his core strength and lateral mobility so that he can switch and stay in front of perimeter players. The plan is overseen by director of sports medicine and performance Rick Celebrini and executed down the ranks. Clearly, the Warriors are invested in Smailagic’s development.

Because Smailagic became eligible for the NBA Draft after turning 19 this summer, in order to keep him, the Warriors had to draft him after tracking him for a season in Santa Cruz.

With just one second-round pick in June’s draft, the Warriors knew they wanted both Smailagic and forward Eric Paschall. The Warriors traded two future second-round picks and $1 million to the New Orleans Pelicans to take him 39th overall, and drafted Paschall at No. 41.

While the 23-year-old Paschall has emerged as an immediate contributor and Rookie of the Year candidate, Smailagic is more of a work in progress. He is not quite “two years away from being two years away” — as ESPN’s Fran Fraschilla once remarked in reference to former Raptors pick Bruno Caboclo — but the Warriors can afford to be patient.

They signed Smailagic to a four-year deal, a rare contract for a second-round pick, giving them plenty of runway. He’ll be only 22 by the time his rookie contract expires.

“We’re taking the patient, long-term approach with this. We don’t have any need to rush ahead and skip any steps,” Lacob said about when Smailagic will play a meaningful role in Golden State. “The fans will know when they see it, and we’ll know when we see it.”