Golden State Warriors: 15 greatest draft steals in franchise history

Most fans remember Gilbert Arenas from his time with the Washington Wizards, where he became a three-time NBA All-Star and looked to be one of the premier point guards in the NBA.

We all know how the Arenas story ends — with injuries and, uh, locker room disagreements — but some Golden State fans may recall his two seasons in Oakland prior to moving to the nation’s capital.

In a 2001 NBA Draft that saw the Warriors take springy wing Jason Richardson No. 5 overall — who, apparently, wasn’t as exciting as his athleticism would suggest, but at least he wasn’t Kwame Brown or Eddy Curry — but the true steal came in the second round.

With such basketball luminaries as Trenton Hassell, Jamaal Tinsley, Jeryl Sasser and Joseph Forte off the board, the Warriors used the No. 31 overall pick to take Arenas.

Sporting the No. 0 as a “Take That!” at the draft pundits who posited that he wouldn’t play a single minute in the NBA, Arenas showed glimpses of a rocket-fueled first step, smooth handles, a solid pull-up game and the innate ability to finish around the rim.

In his two seasons with the Warriors, Arenas averaged 15.6 points per game on 54.6 percent true shooting with an 18.1 PER and .110 WS/48. However, it was the second year, where he put up 18.3 points a night with a .431/.348/.791 shooting line, that really opened some eyes around the league, particularly then-Wizards general manager Ernie Grunfeld.

Grunfeld offered Arenas a six-year, $60 million contract. Since his second-round status precluded the Warriors from matching Washington’s offer sheet, he was free to join the Wizards, becoming the star they needed in the wake of the washed-Michael Jordan era.