The Golden State Warriors are the odds-on favorites heading into the lottery to have the No. 1 pick and, as a result, possess the key to unlocking the 2020 NBA Draft. With so much uncertainty at the top of the draft, each pick will likely directly dictate the next in the draft.
The Warriors have been reportedly leaning a number of ways with their pick but the most recent rumor is that Anthony Edwards, not LaMelo Ball, could be their guard of choice.
From Connor Letourneau of the San Francisco Chronicle:
If the Warriors land the top selection in October’s draft, they’ll likely take Georgia shooting guard Anthony Edwards. Golden State believes, per a league source, that Edwards is one of the few players available in this draft who can contribute immediately and develop into a face of the franchise within the next few seasons.
All signs have pointed to the Warriors going away from LaMelo Ball in the draft. The main question was whether it would be for James Wiseman, Edwards or the team would trade the pick.
Jeff Goodman was the one to report that Wiseman was the frontrunner in the draft but did not directly link him to the Warriors. Letourneau has previously reported that the team prefers Edwards over Ball. He also noted that the team prefers to trade the pick rather than draft Ball.
Edwards makes sense from a roster construction standpoint. His versatility as a combo guard plays better next to either Klay Thompson or Steph Curry. But he may not necessarily have a ceiling as high as Ball, which could be a tradeoff the Warriors are willing to make.
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