While the Minnesota Timberwolves hold the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, the Golden State Warriors serve as the pivot point in the draft. The Warriors could go any number of ways from drafting a player to trading down a handful of picks to trading out of the first round altogether and acquiring an All-Star level player.
For now, it’s near impossible to predict the Warriors’ gameplan for the draft and it likely won’t be known until draft night itself.
However, peaks into the Warriors mindset regarding the draft could offer clues. Wes Goldberg’s recent piece for The Mercury News offered that glimpse into how Golden State views the upcoming draft.
The Warriors believe guard is the strongest position in this draft. Specifically, point guard. In fact, they would rank the strength of this draft in the following order: guard, forward, then center.
For fans hoping to see LaMelo Ball land in San Francisco, this is not good news. If the Warriors view the point guard position as the deepest or strongest in the draft, it means they would feel comfortable trading down and acquiring more assets before selecting a point guard later in the draft.
It’s not a death nail, though. The team could feel point guard is the strongest but also see Ball as the best of the group and, if he’s available with the No. 2 pick, select him.
It’ll be an interesting situation to monitor as the playoffs continue. A team that ends the season in a frustrating manner, a la the Philadelphia 76ers, could be prime for a shake-up trade that could involve the Warriors and the No. 2 pick. It all should make for an exciting build up to the draft in October.
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