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New York, Cleveland should want Warriors second-overall pick the most

By Nathan Beighle

AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND - OCTOBER 24: LaMelo Ball of the Hawks looks on during the round four NBL match between the New Zealand Breakers and the Illawarra Hawks at Spark Arena on October 24, 2019 in Auckland, New Zealand. (Photo by Anthony Au-Yeung/Getty Images)
AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND - OCTOBER 24: LaMelo Ball of the Hawks looks on during the round four NBL match between the New Zealand Breakers and the Illawarra Hawks at Spark Arena on October 24, 2019 in Auckland, New Zealand. (Photo by Anthony Au-Yeung/Getty Images) /
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The New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers should be the two teams most desperate to get their hands on the Golden State Warriors No. 2 overall pick.

The Golden State Warriors, a few weeks ago, were awarded the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. They had the top odds at the No. 1 slot, but the Minnesota Timberwolves, the true winners of the draft, managed to luck into it.

With that No. 2 overall pick, the Warriors will likely have anyone other than Anthony Edwards to choose from. Thankfully for Golden State, Edwards isn’t the player that most teams want: LaMelo Ball is.

The Cavaliers and Knicks are both teams that should feel Ball would help complete their roster, giving them a tall playmaking point guard. In Cleveland, Ball would likely send Collin Sexton to the second unit while, in New York, he’d give the Knicks the big-name star the Big Apple craves.

While Golden State doesn’t have to take any low-ball offers for their pick, most league insiders still believe the team will trade the pick. It would be smart for the Warriors to trade their pick, but the most important reason is to extend their draft capital.

If they use that pick, they may not be able to get the full value of it in the trade market. The Wizards would likely rather have the Cavaliers 2021 first-round pick than LaMelo Ball or James Wiseman. It would make sense for them to trade it for another future pick.

That said, the Cavaliers remain high on LaMelo Ball. As for LaMelo to New York, it may be Ball that wants that to happen more than even the Knicks as he wants that immense popularity that comes with New York basketball.

They are both top-tier candidates to trade for the pick. With high-value picks in the next draft, one that should have much more talent, the Warriors should want to make that trade as Cleveland and New York have little other assets to include as both won under 25 games this season.

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Both high on Ball, the Cavaliers and Knicks should be the top trade-up targets for the Dubs No. 2 overall pick.

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