Before they’re on the clock with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, the Golden State Warriors have been doing their homework on the prospect pool.
As Bob Myers and Steve Kerr put the final touches on their plan for their highly-anticipated selection, the Warriors have been in contact with prospects for workouts and interviews. Iowa State’s Tyrese Haliburton, France’s Killian Hayes and Penn State’s Lamar Stevens are some of the players that have been linked to Golden State for pre-draft interviews.
On Thursday, the Warriors had the opportunity to meet one of the top-rated prospects in the 2020 draft class.
According to Ethan Sherwood Strauss of The Athletic, Steve Kerr and other members of the Warriors organization traveled to Atlanta to work out Deni Avdija.
Via The Athletic
Steve Kerr and other members of the Warriors organization worked out Maccabi Tel Aviv prospect Deni Avdija on Thursday morning in Atlanta, according to sources. By all accounts, it was a positive get together, one in which the 19-year-old Israeli impressed observers.
After the workout, Avdija continued to impress in the interview portion of the meeting. The Warriors were reportedly “blown away” by the 19-year-old, per Strauss.
Not only did Avdija perform well in the workouts, but Warriors officials were blown away after meeting with him. The universal takeaway was that he’s a “great kid” with an immense work ethic.
The workout in Atlanta isn’t the first time members of Golden State’s organization have seen Avdija on the court. According to Connor Letourneau of The Athletic, the Warriors traveled to Israel “multiple times” to see the 6-foot-9 forward in person.
Via @Con_Chron on Twitter:
As I've reported, the Warriors went out to Israel multiple times to see Deni in person. He's a (very) strong possibility at No. 2. https://t.co/fFsTn9b9hP
— Connor Letourneau (@Con_Chron) October 22, 2020
On his way to winning the Israeli League’s Most Valuable Player, Avdija averaged 13.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.6 assists and one block per contest for Maccabi Tel Aviv. During the EuroLeague, he averaged 4.0 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists.
In USA TODAY’s Rookie Wire pre-combine big board, Avdija placed at No. 12 in the top-100. According to Rookie Wire’s Bryan Kalbrosky, Avdija is a “swiss-army knife on offense.”
Via Rookie Wire pre-combine big board:
U20 European Championship 2019 MVP Deni Avdija is a bit of a swiss-army knife on offense who could be useful for nearly any team in the NBA. But even though he is a solid enough scorer and playmaker to enjoy some success at the next level, a lack of an identifiable elite skill makes him project more as a role player than one who can help define a franchise.
With his ability to handle the ball and control an offense, Avdija could provide another playmaking option for Kerr behind Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. When Golden State’s All-Star trio is off the court, Avdija could serve as an offensive initiator alongside Eric Paschall in the Warriors’ second unit.
As he develops into an NBA role, the former Maccabi Tel Aviv standout could also slide into the frontcourt in a small-ball lineup with Curry, Thompson, Green and Andrew Wiggins.
As the Warriors piece together their own big board leading up to Nov. 18, prospects will continue to meet with Kerr and other members of Golden State’s organization.
[lawrence-related id=22278,27791,26576,25658,25400]
[vertical-gallery id=30785]