It’s no secret the Golden State Warriors are in a unique position in the NBA draft. Unlike many teams that hold picks at the top of the draft, the Warriors are gearing up for a run at the playoffs — instead of a total rebuild.
With Golden State’s No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 draft serving as the headliner of the offseason, Bob Myers and Steve Kerr will be in charge of filling out the roster around their core of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins.
If a prospect doesn’t fit Golden State’s plan to get back to the postseason, the Warriors could move the No. 2 overall selection for established NBA talent.
When it comes to the trade market, Zach Lowe of ESPN reported both the Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors have explored trading their top picks for an “All-NBA-level stars.”
Via ESPN:
Rarely have the No. 1 and 2 picks gone to teams in various win-now stages. Both the Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors have explored trading their picks for All-NBA-level stars, sources say, but no such deal appears (for now) likely to materialize.
According to Lowe, teams have shown “no interest” in trading players like Bradley Beal, Devin Booker and Ben Simmons.
The Wizards have shown no interest in trading Beal for either pick, sources say. Ditto for Phoenix with Devin Booker and Philadelphia with Ben Simmons. Again: If Beal forces Washington’s hand, a package centered on the No. 1 pick is nothing to sneeze at. Players one tier down are probably not worth a top-two pick
If a trade doesn’t work, the Warriors will have the opportunity to land a top prospect like Memphis big man James Wiseman, Maccabi Tel Aviv’s Deni Avdjia, Iowa State’s Tyrese Haliburton or Florida State’s Devin Vassell.
With the NBA draft two weeks away, the Warriors still have time to build a deal for a player with All-Star caliber talent. Golden State could add the 2021 first-round pick they acquired in the Wiggins-D’Angelo Russell deadline day trade to entice teams looking for a trade.
However, if the teams aren’t making players available, Kerr and Myers will need to get creative if they plan on building a trade package around their first-round pick.
