The Golden State Warriors just earned their fourth NBA title in eight seasons, rebounding from a two-year hiatus to return to the mountaintop.
Unlike previous iterations of the dynastic Warriors, there was a blend of young players and championship talent that helped this team defeat the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals.
Less than a week after winning the title, Golden State is already preparing for the 2022 NBA Draft. It has three selections, including the 28th pick in the first round Thursday night.
Multiple reports suggest that the Warriors are looking to move that 28th pick. There’s a few obvious reasons for this.
Golden State needs to find a way to get youngsters Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody and James Wiseman more playing time next season. Any rookie selected at 28 would likely find himself completely out of the rotation.
Moving the 28th pick for future assets or even a proven player could make sense. A trade up from their original pick to find a target player could also work. Below, we look at three ideal Golden State Warriors trade scenarios for Thursday’s NBA Draft.
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Warriors move 28th pick for future first-rounder and change
This seems to be the likeliest scenario. Despite its influx of talent, Golden State boasts all of its future first-round picks outside of the 2024 selection. Adding another top-30 selection to the mix down the road would be another way for general manager Bob Myers to keep this dynastic run going.
As for potential trade partners, there’s a number of rebuilding teams that would love to have another first rounder in Thursday’s draft. The Detroit Pistons come up as a team that might show interest. They boast the fifth pick in the annual event and aren’t selecting again until No. 46. In this scenario, Detroit offers up a future first-round pick with obvious protections to acquire the 28th selection. It also yields a future second-rounder to make this worth the Warriors’ while.
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Golden State Warriors trade 28th pick for veteran
Boasting the highest payroll in NBA history, it’s going to be difficult for the Warriors to match any salaries in a draft-day trade. Being over the luxury tax, this is magnified even further. Short of trading James Wiseman, the options are going to be extremely limited here.
Perhaps, Golden State looks to add another big to the mix by trading the 28th selection and one of its second-round picks. It could also simply bite the bullet and trade Wiseman as a way to open up avenues to find an immediate impact performer.
One idea would be to send Wiseman and the 28th pick to the San Antonio Spurs for veteran center Jakob Poeltl and the 20th selection. San Antonio gets a young potential franchise cornerstone at a position that Gregg Popovich values. It does so by moving down just a few spots in the first round and trading a player who might not have a future with the Spurs.
In return, Golden State acquires a starter-caliber center should Kevon Looney depart in free agency. It also uses this 20th pick to trade for a future first-round selection.
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Golden State Warriors trade up in the first round
There’s no way the Warriors are going to make three picks in Thursday’s NBA Draft. They just don’t have the roster space. Why not package the 28th pick, one second-round selection and a future pick to move up a few spots in the first round?
Short of the Warriors trading out of the 28th pick altogether, this could be the best-case scenario. It would enable them to target a specific player that could fit into their long-term plans. Depending on his value, Patrick Baldwin Jr. could make sense. If we’re looking at a need position, Auburn center Walker Kessler would be a good fit.