The Warriors shouldn’t trade their draft pick … yet

The Golden State Warriors have the chance of adding another star to their team, but they could net a better return by staying patient and waiting for a better opportunity.

After Kevin Durant’s departure from the Bay Area and losing both Steph Curry and Klay Thompson to long-term injuries, the Golden State Warriors plummeted to the bottom of the league in the 2019-20 season. However, that resulted in them landing the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft, which could be used in a trade for another star player and allow the Warriors to continue their dynastic run. Even though it might be tempting to make a win-now move, Golden State can benefit even more by staying patient.

Why the Golden State Warriors should wait to make a trade for a star

1. More trade targets could become available during the season

Currently, the only star player who is actively being shopped is Jrue Holiday. On paper, he would be a good fit for any team in the league due to his versatility; Holiday is capable of scoring and playmaking while not being ball-dominant, and he’s also one of the best defensive guards in the league. Even with Curry and Thompson in the backcourt, Holiday will still be able to make a huge impact for the Warriors by being a secondary ball-handler.

On the other hand, Golden State will most likely look to trade for a younger player if they’re intent on moving the No. 2 pick. Holiday is already 30 and could opt out of his deal after this season and become an unrestricted free agent next summer, and he’ll likely be looking for a max contract if he does. The Warriors already have four max players on their roster in Curry, Thompson, Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins, so it’ll be extremely hard to extend Holiday too should they trade for him.

Outside of Holiday, there currently aren’t any obvious trade candidates for Golden State to target. That could change once the season starts since stars such as Bradley Beal and Giannis Antetokoumnpo might want a change of scenery depending on how their respective teams perform. They’re both in their mid-20s and will allow the Warriors to both compete now and in the future when Curry, Thompson and Green start entering the twilight of their careers. A lot more players might become available at the trade deadline as well, which is why Golden State should keep their pick for now and consider trading it once there are more options to choose from.

2. The team should see how they perform first before deciding on who to target in a trade

With their stars fully healed from injuries, most NBA fans expect the Warriors to be a juggernaut this year. However, the reality is that no one will know how the team will perform once the season gets underway. By the time the ball is tipped off on Dec. 22, Thompson will have gone over 18 months without playing in an NBA game, while Curry has only suited up for five regular-season matches since losing to the Toronto Raptors in the 2019 finals.

Moreover, Green just came off of his worst season in over five years. Although some of that can be attributed to a lack of effort, his play already saw a dropoff during Golden State’s previous playoff run. With all three of these players over 30, there should be concerns about potential declines in ability.

If any of them struggles to return to form or suffers another long-term injury, the Warriors can use their draft pick to trade for a player who can fill a hole on the team. If Golden State makes a deal right now, they risk the chance of acquiring a player who’ll have a redundant role; yes, they currently have an obvious need at center, but they’ve found success plugging role players in that position and there’s no reason why that won’t work moving forward. By holding on to whoever they’ll pick, the Warriors will be able to have a better idea as to what type of player they’ll need to target after seeing how the team will perform during the season.

3. If the Timberwolves struggle, Golden State can include both their 2020 draft pick and Minnesota’s 2021 first rounder pick to create an even better trade package

If the Minnesota Timberwolves struggle to begin the season, Golden State will potentially have an even more valuable trade asset than their 2020 No. 2 draft pick. They won’t know for sure until the regular season gets underway, but there’s good reason to believe that the Warriors could pick in the lottery once again next year considering the depth of the Western Conference.

Of course, there’s a chance that Minnesota plays well and sneaks into the playoffs next year, but that seems unlikely at the moment. As it currently stands, last season’s Western Conference playoff teams along with the Warriors, Memphis Grizzlies, and New Orlean Pelicans all have decent chances of making the postseason. This means that the Timberwolves seem destined for another playoff miss, which could result in them forfeiting a high draft pick to Golden State.

Minnesota’s 2021 first-round pick is top-three protected, but the 2021 draft is projected to be extremely deep, with multiple prospects who would’ve been the surefire first selection had they been eligible for this year’s draft. If Golden State holds on to their 2020 pick and the Timberwolves struggle next season, they can include both assets to create a monster trade package that will be hard for other teams to top.

4. The Warriors can build towards their future by keeping their 2020 pick

Lastly, one of the main reasons why the Warriors should keep their 2020 pick is to help build towards their future. This isn’t to say that they shouldn’t maximize the remaining prime years of their star players, but the team can compete now and in the coming years by keeping their draft pick. Golden State has the rare opportunity of adding young talent to a contending roster, and they shouldn’t squander it by only thinking of the present.

For example, the Boston Celtics were able to maintain their status as one of the elite teams both now and in the future by holding on to Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown instead of trading them for more established stars. Even with the departure of Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward’s decline due to injuries, Boston has made deep playoff runs in recent seasons.

Furthermore, the Warriors could potentially have two cracks at finding a star player with their own 2020 pick and the aforementioned Minnesota 2021 first-rounder. With Golden State’s recent draft record, there shouldn’t be any doubt in the team’s scouting ability. They have the opportunity of finding their own version of Tatum and Brown, which could allow them to stay in contention for the next decade instead of only the next few years.