3. Trade down
The Golden State Warriors have to accept that they probably won’t win the lottery. Furthermore, they might not even end up with a top-three pick. This gives them a reason to bite the bullet and drop further in the order by trading with another first-round team.
The draft is full of prospects with the potential to become quality role players. Names such as RJ Hampton, Tyrese Haliburton, Tyrese Maxey, Devin Vassell and Issac Okoro could all be available later in the lottery or even deep in the first round.
This opens a path for the Warriors to swap picks with a team later in the order. In addition to gaining another member of the young core via the draft – the Dubs would look to target a team like the San Antonio Spurs who have veteran players they can deal with.
This would help the Warriors gain experienced role players while also adding to their youth. Not to mention, a prospect picked later in the draft should be more willing to buy into a smaller role with the franchise.