With the Golden State Warriors in desperate need to upgrade their roster in support of superstars Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, early money was on the front office to trade their two lottery picks in the NBA Draft, at Nos. 7 and 14, for an accomplished veteran player.
But now, as many realize the value of those selections in the NBA is mid-level at best, most might wager that the Warriors will use those two picks to supplement the roster with youth, rather than trade them away.
Curry has already said that if the Warriors can find rookies that can contribute “right away,” he’s okay with that. (His take is certainly sensible, narrowly defined as it is.)
What about Green, though? The Athletic’s Anthony Slater asked him if he sees NBA-ready talent in the draft, and while Green said there’s “really good” talent among NBA prospects, he also said there’s good talent in the NBA already, presumably there for Warriors general manager Bob Myers to acquire via trade or free agency.
Green has been outspoken about the need for mature players in Golden State since the Warriors’ season ended early and without a playoff appearance. He’s clearly yet to move on from that opinion; Green wasn’t asked about veteran players here, but brought that up anyway.
Green also said he’d provide his input to the Warriors front office (from the Tokyo Olympics), though he knows the decision is not his and will be left up to Myers and team ownership. Another large factor is that Golden State’s ability to acquire a big-time free agent is limited, since their salary cap is stretched far beyond the limit and the Warriors pay well north of $100 million in NBA luxury tax. A difficult-to-maneuver-trade might be the only way to acquire a helpful veteran.
That includes the Warriors’ reported “Plan A” in the NBA Draft. According to the San Francisco Chronicle’s Connor Letourneau, the Warriors first choice is to trade both lottery picks for a “starting caliber player in his prime.” Time will tell if Myers can find a willing trade partner.
However Golden State goes about it, they need to help their trio of superstars, even if it does mean trading the farm for yet another superstar, such as Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard. I suspect that would make Green happy, but other scenarios might suffice, too. We’l know soon enough what the Warriors’ plans are when the NBA Draft takes place on July 29.
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