Should the Warriors prioritize the present or future in the NBA Draft?

The Golden State Warriors are in a rare position — a dynasty one year removed from greatness at the top of the NBA Draft lottery

The Warriors have a tough decision to make. With the NBA Draft Lottery less than a month away (Aug. 25), Golden State’s selection is at peak value. The Warriors, Cavaliers and Timberwolves all have a 14 percent chance at landing the top pick. With that level of uncertainty, the Dubs are taking a significant gamble waiting on the results of a few ping pong balls to help make their decision for them.

This year’s showcase lacks the clear-cut No. 1 option — there is no Zion Williamson. However, the LaMelo Ball’s, Anthony Edwards’ and James Wiseman’s of the world have all emerged as intriguing prospects, perhaps a step ahead of the rest of their class in terms of raw potential and NBA-level athleticism.

Without that big name at the top of the lottery, the trade potential for the No. 1 pick doesn’t have the same possibility in landing a true star as it would in other years. This won’t stop the Warriors, per Shams Charania, from seeking out a partner for the pick in hopes of adding a mid-tier proven veteran to a mix which already includes Steph Curry, Draymond Green, Andrew Wiggins and Klay Thompson returning from injury:

"“They’re going to look hard at maybe packaging the pick,” NBA insider Shams Charania said on Complex’s Load Management podcast (h/t Sam Amico of Sports Illustrated). “You’re looking at a veteran team, and there’s already some veteran free agents that are looking at the Warriors. They’re looking at them gearing up and loading back up.”"

Frankly, we could go either way. Golden State extending its run makes a lot of sense, especially considering the injuries which plagued them in 2019-20. Yet, punting on a chance at a top-5 pick, and by default a chance to get younger and groom the likes of Ball, Edwards or Wiseman alongside one of the more established core trios in all of basketball, seems unwise in the grand scheme of the culture the Dubs are trying to build. Is the answer really so simple?

What if the Warriors keep the pick?

If the Warriors stay put at the top of the lottery, they’d be sending one of two signals. First, they believe in their current core to run it back, reliving the glory days pre-Kevin Durant, in which they won one NBA Title and were arguably a Green suspension away from another. However, that was four years ago, and all three of the Dubs superstars have suffered significant injuries since then. Curry’s ankle is a major issue, and his broken hand suffered just last season doesn’t bode well for future seasons, either. Thompson tore his ACL in the 2019 Finals, and Green dealt with knee, back, pelvic, elbow and ankle issues in 2020. That doesn’t look promising for a durable future.

Secondly, the Warriors would be relying on their culture. Even if they cannot necessarily land a superstar via trade, Golden State resides in (duh) California, forever making it an attractive free agent destination — just ask KD. Drafting a player like, say, Edwards, an athletic student of the game that is an ideal fit for Steve Kerr’s system, to pair with an already-explosive offensive unit makes much more sense when you buy into not just what the current Warriors crop can offer, but the organization as a whole. Lacob (unsurprisingly) seems to have already done just that, per the TK show podcast:

"“Honestly. I’m not gonna hide this—we’re gonna look at drafting someone at our position. Maybe we trade down—that’s a possibility. I’m not saying it’s preferred or not preferred. I’m just saying it’s something we have to look at.”"

Golden State drafts as well as any franchise in the NBA, and if they’re high on Edwards they will take him. That is, unless an offers presents itself before mid-October.

Who could the Warriors acquire for their top draft pick?

The Warriors trade targets are all hypothetical at this point, as it’s fully dependent on one of these prospects jumping off the page at the combine or in private workouts. Expect Golden State to target some of the usual suspects, with LaMarcus Aldridge or Kevin Love leading the way. Aldridge and Love, should they be made available, would be intriguing fits in Kerr’s system, with Love as a better pick-and-roll option offensively. It’s arguable, however, if any of these former All-Stars really puts the Dubs over the top of the Lakers and Clippers out West.

A less exciting option — but perhaps the most realistic one — would be for the Warriors to trade down in the lottery if they deem the drop-off in talent from the top of the draft board to, say, No. 5 to be insignificant. ESPN’s Bobby Marks suggests the Detroit Pistons (fifth-best odds) and Chicago Bulls (seventh-best odds) as potential trade partners, with Luke Kennard and Lauri Markkanen up for grabs respectively. In acquiring a proven NBA talent with potential to improve (Kennard is 24, Markkanen is 23), as well as a chance at a top-10 selection such as Tyrese Haliburton and Isaac Okoro, the Warriors can add depth for the present while developing the young talent we saw on display at times last season. It’s a win-win that allows the franchise to give its fanbase at least one more run with this corps of stars, but doing so responsibly.

Bob Myers has a number of options on the table, and as savvy as it may seem to build for the future, the Warriors know better than most franchises how tough it can be to construct a winning team from the bottom-up. Before 2015, Golden State hadn’t won their division or conference since 1976. As familiar as they’ve become to winning, that sort of perennial disappointment isn’t so foreign to them. In a way, we can’t blame them for taking the necessary steps to extend their glory days.