Warriors must keep their options open in the 2020 NBA Draft
By Justin Fried
The Golden State Warriors will have a decision to make regarding their first-round pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. But one thing’s for sure, they must keep their options open.
The Golden State Warriors have an innate advantage when it comes to the 2020 NBA Draft this year as they started their draft prep well before most teams did.
With the league halted, the scouting and talent evaluation process has undoubtedly slowed down, but the Warriors have been preparing for a high draft pick for months.
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However, that doesn’t mean that they have a clear objective when it comes to that first-round pick.
Truth be told, the Warriors have a variety of different things to consider in regards to their draft strategy. And while their best option isn’t clear, it’s evident that they should keep their options open.
Assuming the regular season doesn’t resume, the Warriors will finish with a lowly 15-50 record — good for last place in the NBA. That means that they’ll be guaranteed a top-five selection and will be tied for the best odds for the first overall pick.
They’ll be receiving a premium pick. But just how valuable will that pick be?
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The upcoming draft class is considered to be pretty weak at the top with no truly premier talent. It’s not considered to be a thin class per se, but there will be no Zion Williamson or even Ja Morant at the top.
That could lessen the value of whatever pick the Warriors ultimately end up with.
Among the top prospects in the upcoming class are the likes of Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball, Obi Toppin, and James Wiseman — not necessarily in that order. If some team is extremely high on one of those players, perhaps it’ll be worth it to trade up to where the Warriors are picking.
Or perhaps that team is the Warriors and they’re comfortable making the financial commitment necessary to draft a player in the top-five. The monetary element isn’t something being discussed as much, but you better believe it will be something Joe Lacob and company take into account.
Of course, many Warriors fans would love to see the team flip that pick for a player who could help them compete for a championship next season. But what could they realistically get in return?
The Athletic’s Anthony Slater speculated about the possibility of maybe landing someone like Boston Celtics’ guard Marcus Smart. That would be an intriguing option if the opportunity presented itself.
The team could also simply trade down a few slots and acquire either future draft capital or a player in return as well. Next year’s draft class is expected to be much stronger at the top which could be enough of an incentive to make that happen.
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Either way, the Warriors have their options — and they would be wise to keep all of those options on the table when assessing what they should do with their top pick.