Best 2nd round draft picks in Golden State Warriors history

The Golden State Warriors, like many successful franchises, have found success not only through top-tier draft picks but by unearthing hidden gems in the second round as well. Since the NBA moved to a two-round format in 1989, the Warriors have showcased a keen eye for talent, finding players who have become key contributors.

Across the league, history is filled with second-rounders who have defied expectations — from Manu Ginobili in San Antonio to Nikola Jokic in Denver — proving that championship teams can be built on the backs of these overlooked talents.

Catching lightning in a bottle at the end of the draft isn’t something that happens often, but when it does, it can be a game-changer. Here’s a look at the best second-round draft picks in the modern era of Warriors history and how they’ve impacted the league.

5. Trayce Jackson-Davis (2023, 57th overall)

Trayce Jackson-Davis is a bit of a projection pick here, as he only has one season under his belt. The promise shown as a rookie and anticipated future growth lands him a spot on this list.

After a prolific four-year career at Indiana University, where he was an AP All-American as a Senior, he came into the 2023 NBA draft with some things working against him. As a four-year college player, he was older than most NBA teams want in a high draft pick. He also struggled as a floor spacer, having attempted only 3 three-pointers in his entire college career. This, combined with only average size for a post player at 6-foot-8 without shoes, meant he’d have to truly maximize his strengths to make his mark at the next level. Dropping in the draft provided additional motivation for him to prove the doubters wrong.

The Warriors had a tumultuous 2023-24 season, highlighted by the many absences of Draymond Green. But Green’s absence also created opportunities for Jackson-Davis to get on the floor, where he showed he could translate his strengths to the pro game. He was an outstanding shot blocker and offensive rebounder while finishing at the rim and drawing shooting fouls at an elite level as well.

With Kevon Looney having slowed down a bit and Green’s penchant for smacking opponents and teammates alike, TJD figures to be an important part of the Warriors’ rotation this coming season and in the future

4. Andrew DeClercq (1995, 34th overall)

Looking back almost 30 years to find an unremarkable name many have likely forgotten; Andrew DeClercq's inclusion may remind you how rare it is to find impact players in the second round of the draft. Another four-year college player, he started every game he played at the University of Florida, earned All-SEC honors all four seasons, and made a Final Four appearance in 1994 as a Junior.

He played just two seasons with the Warriors, putting up 4.7 points and 3.6 rebounds in 13.6 minutes per game in that span. He was an unspectacular center on the surface but played 10 seasons in the best basketball league in the world and started over 250 games in his career, spending the bulk of his time with the Orlando Magic.

The Warriors did not get to benefit from his services for long, but his selection did show a keen eye for talent in finding a serviceable big man this late in the draft. He brought a rebounding prowess, particularly on the offensive glass, that earned him a long career at a time when big bodies were in high demand as the league looked for answers to behemoths like Shaquille O’Neal.

3. Monta Ellis (2005, 40th overall)

Going from decorated, four-year college players and swinging to the other end of the spectrum, we have high school phenom Monta Ellis out of the state of Mississippi. This selection came in an era where high school players were all the rage, with LeBron James and Dwight Howard, preps-to-pros stars themselves, having just been drafted No. 1 overall in each of the last two drafts.

Monta came into the league to do one thing: put the ball in the basket. While he left a lot to be desired in his efficiency scoring the ball, he was a double-figure scorer in the NBA for a decade straight, something very few human beings in history can claim as an accomplishment. He used his blazing speed to shoot the gaps on errant passes and run the ball down opponents’ throats under Don Nelson’s famously fast-paced gameplay.

He won the NBA’s Most Improved Player award in his second season in 2006-07 as an upstart for the “We Believe” Warriors team that took down the No. 1 seed Mavericks in the first round of the playoffs. He went on to score 19.6 points per game in over 400 games for the Warriors in six and a half seasons, before being shipped to Milwaukee for Andrew Bogut, starting the team on a trajectory rarely seen in league history.

2. Gilbert Arenas (2001, 31st overall)

Wild takes on his podcast aside, many may forget that for a short time in the 2000s, Gilbert Arenas was a certified bucket. Coming out of the University of Arizona, “Agent Zero” was selected early in the second round and quickly showed that he knew how to put the ball in the hole, scoring double-figure points per game as a 20-year-old rookie.

Coming off an impressive rookie season, he earned a starting spot for the Warriors in 2002-03 and proceeded to earn himself the NBA’s Most Improved Player award for that season, giving 18 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists per game. In fact, he played so well that he earned a contract offer from the Washington Wizards in the summer of 2003 that the Warriors were unable to compete with due to his contract status as a second-round pick. As a result of this, we still see the effects in the NBA today with the Gilbert Arenas provision in the Collective Bargaining Agreement, which was put in place to help prevent teams like the 2003 Warriors from losing second-round picks who outperform expectations.

Arenas would go on to make three All-Star and All-NBA Teams in the next four years, becoming one of the deadliest scorers and off-the-dribble shooters in the game. Unfortunately, injuries (as well as a certain locker room incident) would rob him of the rest of his prime. He was out of the league by 2012 at age 31, also depriving fans of more time to watch one of the most electric scorers of the era.

The Warriors weren’t able to secure his services long-term, but his selection and brief impact on the team have had a lasting effect on the league, nonetheless.

1. Draymond Green (2012, 35th overall)

This one should come as no surprise. Coming out of Michigan State in 2012 as a do-it-all forward without prototypical size and skills, he fell to the second round after an All-American season as a Senior. He had a unique skillset that many teams were unsure how to properly assess. His IQ was and is completely off the charts, which is difficult to measure, and his most transferrable offensive skill turned out to be his passing, which is not typically valued that highly in big men.

After a pedestrian rookie season, an injury to All-Star forward David Lee provided Green an opportunity for extended minutes, which he seized and never looked back. He became a lynchpin for the Warriors’ unique attack on both ends of the floor, quarterbacking both the offense and defense with his otherworldly basketball intelligence.

His playmaking allowed two of the greatest shooters ever, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson to leverage that shooting ability while Green focused on finding them in open spots. Even more importantly, Green has been one of the most versatile and effective defensive stalwarts in the history of the game. He has earned NBA All-Defensive Team honors eight times and was named the league’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2016-17. The Warriors’ ability to play small in their “death lineups” has been largely due to Green’s ability to play much bigger than his 6-foot-6 frame, particularly on the defensive end, which in turn also unlocked the ability to deploy some of the deadliest offenses the game has ever seen.

To round out his career accomplishments, he has been a four-time All Star selection, two-time All-NBA selection, and four-time NBA champion. His offensive game has some warts that have largely been masked by playing with some of the greatest shooters ever, but it cannot be denied that he has been supremely additive to the careers of his teammates as well. His career cannot be discussed without mentioning the unnecessary antics that have plagued him throughout the years, but on the court, he has been nothing short of magnificent and could even be headed to the Hall of Fame when all is said and done.