Golden State Warriors: Trading down in NBA Draft is a good idea
By Tony Pesta
Instead of taking a risk on a top 2020 NBA Draft prospect, the Golden State Warriors should look to trade down and acquire more assets.
The Golden State Warriors are going to explore all of their options for the 2020 NBA Draft. At least, that’s what Dubs Owner Joe Lacob said on the TK Show run by Tim Kawakami of The Athletic.
"“Honestly. I’m not gonna hide this—we’re gonna look at drafting someone at our position. Maybe we trade down—that’s a possibility. I’m not saying it’s preferred or not preferred. I’m just saying it’s something we have to look at.”"
This isn’t much of a shocker. The Warriors are in a luxurious position that few teams have been in across the leagues 70+ years of existence. Even if they land the No. 1 overall pick and completely miss on a prospect, they will still be title contenders next season due to their All-Star trio of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green.
Consequently, the Dubs have the freedom to be a bit more creative with their pick than other lottery teams. While the chance at a top prospect is incredibly valuable to rebuilding teams like the Cleveland Cavaliers and Atlanta Hawks, it is merely leisure for the Warriors.
Because of this, the Warriors have every reason to explore some trades. Rather than betting on a young rookie to help them contend this season, they can swap picks with a team further down the line and acquire some additional assets.
What will the Warriors trade package look like? Perhaps they ship out other expandable players like Alen Smailagić or Damion Lee to receive more experienced talents. They could also swing big and include Andrew Wiggins for another blockbuster deal. Or, the Warriors can simply trade down for a few additional picks.
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Either way, a trade seems to be the best option here. Any rookie the Warriors draft in the top five is going to be eager to prove himself and this just isn’ the right environment for a young prospect to be making a name for himself. The Warriors have an established dynasty with solidified superstars. Inserting an up-and-coming 19-year old is not ideal.