5 trade targets for the Golden State Warriors with No. 2 draft pick
The Golden State Warriors have options with their No. 2 overall draft pick.
After ripping off perhaps the most successful five-year stretch in league history, the Golden State Warriors were rewarded by the basketball gods with the second overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft Lottery.
Do they need this abundance of wealth with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green all expected to be healthy next season? Probably not. But no one can deny they’ve built up some good karma over the last half-decade, especially once an injury bug infestation robbed them of another championship last year and their entire 2019-20 campaign.
However, using the No. 2 pick in this year’s draft does little to help reanimate the Dubs dynasty, which is why it’s not surprising Monte Poole of NBC Sports reported Golden State will “consider” trading its first-round pick this year. LaMelo Ball just doesn’t hold as much interest for a franchise that already has Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson in the backcourt, especially when the Warriors could supplement their core and prepare for another title run in 2021.
If the Golden State Warriors move their pick, there are a few trade targets they could consider
5. Aaron Gordon
The appeal of this trade scenario likely depends on how effective you think Aaron Gordon can be as a 3, or whether the Dubs can play him at his best position (the 4) while shifting Green to the center spot full-time.
In any case, the No. 2 pick in a shaky draft class isn’t as valuable as it typically would be, so even if it seems like a hefty price to pay for a good-but-not-great player like Gordon, his defense and improving 3-point shot would actually make him a pretty great fit on both ends for Steve Kerr. Throw in another stifling defender and reliable veteran like Al-Farouq Aminu, plus getting out of Wiggins deal, and suddenly this potential deal seems a lot more attractive for the Warriors.
For the Magic, such a deal is about skewing younger, avoiding overpaying to keep Gordon around when it’s pretty clear his fit in Orlando is dicey at best, and getting out of the remaining 1-2 years on Aminu’s contract. Absorbing Wiggins’ contract isn’t an enticing prospect by any means, but he’s still only 25 years old and people forget this: Wiggins isn’t a bad player, he’s just flawed, never panned out as the next LeBron James and is drastically overpaid.
A team looking to build around Markelle Fultz and Jonathan Isaac like the Magic might be more willing to give him a look as they transition away from the days of Nikola Vucevic and Evan Fournier over the next few seasons. Even if Wiggins doesn’t hold the Magic’s interest, that No. 2 pick could supplement this young core, all while avoiding tying up money in two guys who largely underwhelmed in Orlando.