The rich will get richer after the 2020 NBA Draft.
With Stephen Curry injured for the majority of the 2019-20 season, Klay Thompson missing the entire 2019-20 season and Kevin Durant leaving in free agency the offseason before, the Golden State Warriors watched as the losses piled up in ways that they hadn’t in years. By the end of the season, the Warriors had the worst record in the NBA even after trading for former first overall pick Andrew Wiggins.
Now, Golden State has the second overall pick in the upcoming NBA Draft and the Splash Brothers are set to return to the court in 2020-21. The 2020 NBA Championship felt like a free-for-all without the Warriors in contention but the Dubs are in prime position to strike fear into the hearts of teams all around the league once again.
Related: Full Golden State Warriors Salary Cap Preview
2020 NBA Draft Picks
No. 2 overall | No. 48 overall | No. 51 overall |
Warriors Draft Needs
Although the Warriors have one of the league’s most talented cores with Curry, Thompson, Wiggins and Draymond Green, they’ve shown that they’re not afraid to accumulate as much talent on the roster as possible. So, while many are concerned about how the player selected with the second overall will fit, taking the best player available may be the best available option.
That said, it’s fair to wonder what the best fit for Golden State’s quarter should be: a center, a forward or a guard.
If parallels were to be made between this current iteration of the Warriors and the Golden State’s rosters from the past five seasons, Wiggins would be their current version of Harrison Barnes or Kevin Durant. Therefore, what the Dubs are really missing is their glue piece — their Andre Iguodala.
With their late second round picks, not much will be expected in terms of production but they need depth at center. If Golden State can find a diamond in the rough, much like they did when they selected Green with the 35th overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, all the better.
2020 NBA Draft Prospect Watchlist
No. 2 overall | No. 48 overall | No. 51 overall |
F Deni Avdija, Maccabi Tel Aviv | F CJ Elleby, Washington St. | SG Jay Scrubb, John A. Logan College |
PG LaMelo Ball, Illawarra | C Udoka Azubuike, Kansas | F Lamar Stevens, Penn St. |
C James Wiseman, Memphis | C Filip Petrusev, Gonzaga | C Omer Yurtseven, Georgetown |
PG Killian Hayes, Ratiopharm | F Jordan Nwora, Louisville | C Nick Richards, Kentucky |
F Patrick Williams, Florida St. | G-F Nate Hinton, Houston | F Yoeli Childs, BYU |
What The Mocks Are Saying
The Ringer | James Wiseman (No. 2) |
The Athletic | James Wiseman (No. 2), Killian Tillie (No. 48), Grant Riller (No. 51) |
USA TODAY Sports | James Wiseman (No. 2) |
CBS Sports | James Wiseman (No. 2) |
The Score | James Wiseman (No. 2) |
Projected Roster
PG | Stephen Curry |
PG | Ky Bowman |
SG | Andrew Wiggins |
SG | Damion Lee |
SG | Jordan Poole |
SG | Mychal Mulder |
G-F | Klay Thompson |
SF | Juan Toscana-Anderson |
PF | Eric Paschall |
PF | Alen Smailagic |
F-C | Draymond Green |
F-C | Marquese Chriss |
F-C | Kevon Looney |