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As you probably already know, the Golden State Warriors have the second overall pick in Wednesday’s NBA Draft. And it seems like the most likely outcome is that they will use it to recruit a top prospect like James Wiseman, Anthony Edwards or LaMelo Ball.
But we’ve talked a lot about the Warriors’ potential to change the team. Given that the draft is a bit boring and Golden State needs a few players who can help them capitalize on a wide-open championship window, there has been a lot of talk about Golden State having the pick, perhaps alongside Andrew Wiggins and / or the Minnesota Timberwolves. first-round pick in 2021, and trying to get a star, or a high-quality veteran RPG player.
It doesn’t seem like there are many options available, so I want to talk about a different operation: the down operation.
Two years ago, the Atlanta Hawks executed the kind of trade that I could see the Warriors were making. The Hawks ranked third in the 2018 NBA Draft and knew exactly who they wanted: Trae Young. They also knew that the Dallas Mavericks, who had the No. 5 pick, wanted Luka Dončić, and that if he was off the board, the Memphis Grizzlies would take Jaren Jackson Jr. with the No. 4 pick.
In other words, the Hawks knew that if they went back to No. 5, the player they wanted at No. 3 would still be available.
So they called Dallas. The Mavs had no choice because they knew Memphis would take Dončić if Dallas didn’t catch him first. They then traded places with Atlanta, pitching a 2019 first-round pick to make Atlanta’s time worthwhile.
Maybe this is a bad example, because I don’t want to encourage the Warriors to change to avoid picking the next Luka Dončić. It’s not a good idea.
But the process is one the Warriors can follow, depending on who they like best in the draft.
What if the Chicago Bulls, who have the No. 4 pick, want James Wiseman, but know that the Charlotte Hornets, who are rumored to be in love with the Memphis center, will take him as No. 3? If the Warriors already have their sights set on, say, Killian Hayes, then they can back off, get a future asset, and still get the same player that they would have selected at No. 2.
Or if they have their eyes on someone who will likely fall a little further, they could really try to get a strong package from a desperate team like the New York Knicks (No. 8), Washington Wizards (No. 9) or Sacramento Kings (No. 12).
Such an opportunity may not materialize, and it really depends on the Warriors having a target that will be available beyond second place in the draft. But we know that Bob Myers loves to acquire future assets, and this type of movement is the one for him.
