After the Golden State Warriors got the No. 2 pick in the NBA Draft Lottery on Aug. 20, outlets started putting out their updated mock drafts.
The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie, a go-to draft source, slotted Memphis center James Wiseman as the second overall pick to the Warriors.
Vecenie writes:
“Wiseman is the top center in the class for me due to his elite-level physical tools and developing defensive prowess on the interior. By the end of Wiseman’s high school career, I thought that genuine All-Defense team upside existed within his potential outcomes.”
Wiseman, listed at 7-foot-1 with a wingspan that has been reported to be as long as 7-foot-6, could be a defensive anchor for Golden State and provide good rim-running offense in the pick-and-roll game.
He would be a giant in the post, four inches taller than Marquese Chriss, who is currently slotted into the starting center role.
Wiseman was widely considered the top 2020 prospect prior to his freshman year of college, but eligibility questions limited him to just three games at Memphis, so there’s minimal college film to go off when evaluating him.
On offense, Vecenie has picked up that Wiseman is “best when he keeps things simple” and too frequently wanders out of the post.
“He has a chance to be one of the league’s elite rim runners due to his hands, his catch radius and his ability to high point the ball once he gets downhill. I also think he’s going to be able to shoot it from distance long-term. Too often though, he tried to act as a face-up high-post player in the midrange area to poor results. He’s not really a shot creator, nor is he much of a passer.”
Wiseman, with his size, is easy to see as a long-term center option.
Vecenie also addressed a major talking point: trading the pick.
“They have a veteran core that they believe can get right back into the mix next season to potentially win a championship. They also have the trade exception they got within the Andre Iguodala trade which is $17.2 million. The team has a ton of options here.”
One such mock offer he made was when he was discussing the New York Knicks’ “near disaster result” of falling to No. 8. Vecenie proposed center Mitchell Robinson and that eighth overall pick in exchange for the Warriors’ No. 2 pick.
That’s just one example of a potential trade, but Vecenie thinks Golden State should absolutely put it on the market and see what offers they can receive.
If nothing, they can go ahead and draft the 7-foot-1 anchor.