The Golden State Warriors have the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, and the experts think the Warriors will go with point guard LaMelo Ball.
This offseason will be telling for the Golden State Warriors.
Their options will be plentiful as they have the second-overall pick in the coming draft. It’s than just the second pick in a draft that’s expected to be below average. It’s about their 2021 first-round pick, their trade exception and who they may look to deal the entire package for.
Fans have tossed out the idea of Bradley Beal or Giannis Antetokounmpo, but the reality in those two superstars seems to wane by the day. More realistically, the Warriors could look into Joel Embiid as the Sixers could and potentially should break up their duo.
The obvious and easiest option for Golden State is to just keep the pick. Anthony Edwards to the Timberwolves after they just traded a small forward and brought in a point guard seems like a guarantee.
After that, the waters get murky.
Golden State want a backup point, and they love Tyrese Haliburton. James Wiseman, Obi Toppin, and Deni Avdija would still be out there if Edwards goes first. The youngest Ball brother, LaMelo, would also be available.
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“Things could get interesting with the No. 2 pick. The Warriors will have stars Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson back from injury, so will they want to add a young player to the mix, or could they look to deal the pick for a more proven, established star? Whatever they do, they’ve got options, and most mocks (6 of 10) think the Warriors will grab Memphis big man James Wiseman. Having an athletic big man could be an enticing addition, but another option would be to add LaMelo Ball to the backcourt and let him run wild with Curry and Thompson. Wiseman is an interesting prospect — while he is most likely to go No. 2, he is lower than Ball in our calculations, thanks to two mocks dropping him as low as No. 6 (Yahoo Sports) and No. 7 (SB Nation),” Drew Packham of NBA.com wrote.
Wiseman makes more sense for the Warriors.
They don’t have an elite rim protector.
Starting Marquese Chriss at center, the Dubs could use an up-and-coming center, but whether Wiseman will actually turn out to be a potential DPOY candidate is unknown. There’s not much film on Wiseman since he played a mere three games at the collegiate level before leaving and training for the draft.
As for Ball, he shot poorly and wasn’t effective from downtown in Australia.
It’s really about how much they like Ball, but given his inefficiencies, it doesn’t seem like a great fit on this roster, especially since they dealt for a surefire star in Russell and then opted to end that experiment before seeing it out.
With the trade exception, ideally the Warriors will trade the pick, but if not, Ball or Wiseman will both be top options for Golden State.