Why Should the Golden State Warriors Not Trade Their Lottery Picks?

The Golden State Warriors had a weird season to say the least. While they did welcome Steph Curry back, they saw Klay Thompson miss time yet again due to injury. The Dubs who were touted as playoff hopefuls, had a rather streaky start to their season.

But with in the form of his life, the Warriors made a comeback and locked their place in the play-in tournament. Despite having two games to make it to the playoffs, Curry and Co. crashed out against the Grizzlies and missed out on a possible spot in the playoffs. This meant that the Warriors had a chance to land a top pick in the NBA draft lottery.

While their hopes of landing a top 6 pick might have taken a bruise, the Warriors do have the 7th and 14th pick in the draft. With an aging team, the Warriors are in win-now mode. While the rumors about possible trade packages around their lottery picks have been rampant, take a look at why the Dubs shouldn’t give away these picks.

Selecting a versatile wing player with the 7th pick

The Warriors were pretty unfortunate to not land a top six player in the draft. With a star-studded group of prospects, a top five prospect could have been franchise cornerstone for the Dubs. But the Warriors still can make the best out of it. The Warriors certainly have all the attacking potential in the world.

While Andrew Wiggins and Kelly Oubre Jr. were decent contributors, they did not have the necessary sharpshooting ability to excel in the Dubs’ offense. Fortunately Warriors might be having a handful of players to choose from in the draft.

Despite the recent draft projections indicating a major drop off for highly touted prospect Jonathan Kuminga, the Dubs should not select the former G-league forward.

While Kuminga does have massive upside, he is still a work in progress and might not fit the Dubs’ timeline. A much more logical pick for the Warriors would be Davion Mitchell. Mitchell who was a part of the championship winning Baylor team, is an excellent defender.

Not only that, the 22-year-old has also some offensive weapons. Be it his lethal three point shooting where he averaged 44% from the perimeter or his improved offensive game, Mitchell can be an immediate contributor to the Dubs.

He also has underrated ball-handling skills and is highly skilled as well taking some playmaking weight off of Steph Curry. He might not be the youngest but given how proven he is Mitchell seems to be a no-brainer. Another pick the Warriors can opt for is Moses Moody.

Arguably the best three-point threat in the draft class, Moody can be a value addition for multiple teams in the league. An added value to his stock is his massive wingspan. While he is 6’5″ he has a massive wingspan of 7’0″.

With such a massive frame, the 19-year-old adds versatility and certainly has massive potential in the defensive end as well. He has already shown that he can defend multiple positions and given how he performed in his only year in Arkansas, the Warriors might take a swing at the versatile guard.

Adding a forward to the Warriors front-court

The Warriors certainly had a great 2020 draft night when they signed big man James Wiseman. While Wiseman did have all the right tools, he did struggle multiple times to make an impact on team. Given the massive upside though, the former Memphis big man adds a lot of depth to the Dubs’ frontcourt alongside Draymond Green.

The Warriors can still add some talents to their thin frontcourt though. Adding a forward like Jalen Johnson might be an intriguing prospect but the Dubs’ should be aware of the troubles Johnson had off-the court.

A selection like Corey Kispert meanwhile will make an immediate impact upon his arrival. While he is 24-years old, he is one of the best all-rounded players in the draft class and given his incredible shooting ability will fit right in with the Dubs’ offensive system.

He is also a great defender on and off-the ball. Given his experience, he might not take much time to adjust to the NBA. Kispert is a safe-pick in the draft, while he might not have an upside like the likes of Kuminga, the Gonzaga forward will become an immediate contributor to any team.

Another player the Warriors can target is Franz Wagner. Wagner who is an eager defender has an excellent all-round game in the offensive end as well. Given his all-round ability, the 19-year-old has an incredible chance to become solidify his status as a solid two-way forward.

The Warriors certainly have a championship window closing in and adding a third star might be their priority. But they can also do so by replacing under-performing veterans with these new younger role players with less salaries.

This will also open up their salary cap which they can spend to add a world-class superstar. What do you think the Warriors should do with their picks?