The Golden State Warriors have continued to make it known that they are not as high on LaMelo Ball as most other teams through various different reports. The latest one, though, might be one of the more surprising ones.
While it’s obvious that Ball, along with Anthony Edwards and James Wiseman, isn’t terrific fits for the Warriors, the franchise reportedly is higher on international prospect Deni Avdija than Ball.
From Connor Letourneau of the San Francisco Chronicle:
“According to league sources, Golden State is believed to be higher on Avdija than on Ball and perhaps even Wiseman. But if the Warriors decide they want Avdija, they might be best served trading back to the 5-to-8 range, where most experts expect him to go.”
Avdija would certainly be a much, much better fit in the Warriors roster as a wing and Kevin O’Connor recently projected him to go to the Warriors with the No. 2 pick in his first mock draft for The Ringer. But for as good of a fit as Avdija would be, drafting for need over talent is a move that has backfired for many teams in the past.
As Letourneau notes, it would be wiser for the Warriors to trade down, a move that has made the most sense given how the franchise views the top three prospects. If they can drop back into the middle stages of the lottery, Avdija would be a much, much better value pick.
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