Mike Dunleavy’s first NBA Draft as Warriors general manager must have earned him trust within the front office, coaching staff, players and fans. Who he added (Bradin Podziemski and Trayce Jackson-Davis) and where he drafted them (No. 19 and No. 57) gave Golden State its best draft class in more than a decade.
The Warriors in Dunleavy’s second round have one pick, No. 52 overall, in the 2024 NBA Draft. They also owned just one pick, No. 19, before last year’s draft. To land Jackson-Davis with the second-to-last pick in the draft, the Warriors essentially sent Patrick Baldwin Jr. and cash to the Washington Wizards on draft night to get the 57th pick.
Using a similar tactic this year would also make sense. It’s just that this strategy is one they have used more frequently to varying degrees.
Then-Warriors general manager Bob Myers in 2016 sent the Milwaukee Bucks $2.4 million for the 38th pick to get guard Patrick McCaw out of UNLV. McCaw made his NBA debut when he turned 21. At that young age as a rookie, he had 18 points, five assists, three rebounds, three steals and was a plus-19 against the San Antonio Spurs in Game 2 of the 2016 Western Conference Finals.
There were flashes. There was also a contract issue that shortened his time with the Warriors to two years. McCaw’s NBA career never took off.
The Warriors moved up again the following year in the 2017 draft. They sent the Chicago Bulls $3.4 million for Oregon Duck Jordan Bell. Bell’s best season in his five-year NBA career by far came as a rookie. He played in 57 games and started 13. Bell averaged 14.2 minutes per game in the conference finals and 13.5 minutes when the Warriors swept the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Bell averaged 5.8 points and 3.3 rebounds in the 2018 Finals. That’s a win.
Two years later, the Warriors made an infamous trade in the second round.
His crush on Alen Smailagic ended up giving the New Orleans Pelicans $1 million plus second-round picks in 2021 and 2023. Smiley played in 29 games. The experiment, if that’s the right way to put it, didn’t work.
He also didn’t trade him for Ryan Rollins in 2022, although he didn’t have much of a chance. The Warriors traded the 51st pick and $2 million to the Atlanta Hawks to move up nine spots for the shooting guard from Toledo. A handful of people were very excited about Rollins, but he had to have foot surgery early on, he played in 12 games as a rookie and was sent to the Wizards as part of the Chris Paul deal.
The process simply did not work. Golden State’s thinking shouldn’t be seen as a negative here.
This year’s draft is considered one of the worst in years. There are no clear stars, not even an obvious star from the prospect’s point of view. But rotation players can be found. Maybe more in the thirties than in the fifties.
Young, cheap talent is a must for the Warriors. Will they meet another TJD in the second round for the second year in a row? Probably not. But in a year where the draft is down, your chances of filling a need near the top of the second round are better than those at the bottom.
If Dunleavy and the Warriors identify a prospect they really like, there’s no reason to expect something to fall into their lap and everything to work out.
Maybe it’s Oakland native Keshad Johnson, a 23-year-old forward who excelled as a shooter during his fifth year in college. Baylor senior wing Jalen Bridges, 23, could be a perfect 3-and-D player. Cameron Christie is only 19 years old, but the Warriors might like his three-point shot enough to give it a try. The intensity of 23-year-old Kevin McCullar Jr. seems like an easy choice. Pelle Larson, a 23-year-old senior wing who shot 42.1 percent from three last season for Arizona, checks a lot of boxes for the Warriors.
None of these prospects may still be on the board at the Warriors’ current position.
A season in which the Warriors were not a playoff team could force a bet or two in the offseason. Even again, risking opening his wallet and positioning himself higher in the draft.
The little things matter too.
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