Another Top Pick or Another Title: The future of the Golden State Warriors

The dynasty of the Golden State Warriors hangs in the balance of the #2 Pick in the 2020 NBA Draft along with the return of their injured All-Stars.

After their first losing season in 8 years, the Golden State Warriors are out to prove that the dynasty is not over, but their future success hangs in the balance of their finances and the #2 Overall Pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.

After making their fifth straight NBA Finals appearance, the Warriors were on a collision course to win their third straight NBA Championship and fourth Larry O’Brien Trophy in five seasons. Then, injuries to Kevin Durant (Achilles), Klay Thompson (ACL) and Kevon Looney (Collarbone) the Warriors did not have enough firepower to overcome the Toronto Raptors.

In an offseason where: Kevin Durant departed for Brooklyn (thus leading to the acquisition of D’Angelo Russell), both DeMarcus Cousins and Quinn Cook departed for Los Angeles, Andre Iguodala was traded to Memphis to clear up cap space and Shaun Livingston retired, things did not look great for the Warriors dynasty.

In the fourth game of the 2019-20 season, with Klay Thompson already out (ACL) and Draymond Green dealing with a slew of injuries, things got worse for the Warriors as Steph Curry broke his left hand and sat out the entirety of the 2019-20 season.

With their “Big 3” coming off major injuries and an extremely young and inexperienced roster, the big question of “Was this the end of the Warriors dynasty as we knew it,” began to surface.

General Manager Bob Myers quickly answered this question for Warriors fans at the trade deadline last season by acquiring Andrew Wiggins from the Minnesota Timberwolves along with a protected 2021 first-round pick and a 2021 second-round pick in exchange for D’Angelo Russell, Omari Spellman and Jacob Evans.

Myers also moved veterans Glenn Robinson III, Alec Burks and Willie Cauley-Stein in exchange for four future second-round picks in total.

In the next three drafts (including the 2020 NBA Draft), the Warriors now have 10 total draft picks (4 first-round picks and 6 second-round picks). Not only can these picks be used in trade talks for Golden State, but they give the organization the assets they need to allow this dynasty to continue for years to come.

The first roadblock standing in their way though comes Friday, October 16th, 2020 as Bob Myers and the Golden State Warriors own the #2 Overall Pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.

With Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green (a combined 14x All-Star Appearances) and a young, an emerging star in Andrew Wiggins (25 years old) on the wing, the Golden State Warriors are in a very unique position with the #2 Pick in this year’s NBA Draft because they are legit title contenders for the 2020-21 NBA season if they get this pick right.

Steve Kerr went on 95.7 The Game to talk about the Warriors’ approach to the NBA Draft and where they are looking to improve their roster:

"“Well we know we need the best player available regardless of position and that has always been Bob Myers’ approach. I think it is the best way to approach things when you are team building. Rather than looking to fill out your lineup, you just take the best guy and you sort everything out later.”"

What this means pertaining to the Warriors and the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft is that the Warriors want to draft the guy who can compliment Steph and Klay and be a factor for them both in their first and second units on the court.

The five names that come to mind when Steve Kerr mentions the Warriors philosophy on draft night are: Anthony Edwards, Obi Toppin, LaMelo Ball, James Wiseman and Deni Avdija. All five guys could come in and make an impact with Golden State in the 2020-21 season but Anthony Edwards and Obi Toppin stand out the most.

Both Anthony Edwards and Obi Toppin would fill voids the Warriors have on their roster. Edwards would provide a big-time scoring option when Steph and Klay are resting and is an extremely gifted athlete.

The 6-foot-4 combo guard out of Georgia has a very similar body type and game to Utah Jazz All-Star, Donovan Mitchell: both having elite level athleticism.

The biggest question mark surrounding Edwards and his fit with the Warriors though is if he can play off-the-ball and learn to be patient on offense with other star players around him. This is why Obi Toppin may be the better overall pick for the Warriors.

Obi Toppin out of Dayton stands 6’9” and would give the Warriors an older, already proven college standout. Toppin won the 2020 Naismith Men’s College Player of the Year and the John R. Wooden Award last season and would be a perfect fit with Draymond Green, Eric Paschall and Kevon Looney as the Warriors “big-men.”

His three-point shooting last season at Dayton eclipsed 39% and the most dangerous part of his game is his ability to run in transition as a PF.

With Andrew Wiggins and Obi Toppin as two big-time threats to run in transition, along with Steph Curry and Klay Thompson who are threats to shoot the ball as soon as they cross half-court, the Warriors offense could become lethal for larger, less-athletic teams in the league.

The #2 Overall Pick in the 2020 NBA Draft has a lot of implications on the Golden State dynasty as Steph, Klay and Draymond are all in their 30’s now, as Steph is 32 and both Klay & Draymond are 30 years old. If the Warriors are to prolong their success over the years and hang more banners, they must draft the player who will set the stage for the new, younger “Big 3” of Warriors basketball with Andrew Wiggins and Eric Paschall.

Financially, the Warriors payroll exceeds $148M next season ($8.1M in partially/non-guaranteed contracts) which is expected to be $33M over the 2020-21 NBA Salary Cap of $115M according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

The Warriors will definitely be paying luxury taxes as Curry, Thompson, Green, and Wiggin’s contracts alone will pay more than $129M. With their core locked up into Max Contracts and former draft picks such as Eric Paschall, Jordan Poole, and Kevon Looney still on small, rookie-like deals, the Warriors do not have major cap room to go out and sign “big name” role players; making the #2 Overall Pick in this year’s draft even more important.

With the Warriors core rested and healthy heading into the 2020-21 NBA season, expect to see a rejuvenated and hungry Golden State Warriors team that will be playing with a chip on their shoulder to prove their doubters wrong.

The 2020 NBA Draft has the chance to keep the Warriors dynasty alive for years to come and bring the Golden State Warriors more titles instead of more top picks!