Golden State Warriors punting their own 2021 NBA Draft pick

Reaching the playoffs seems to be the Golden State Warriors‘ primary goal, but they would be punting their own 2021 NBA Draft pick in the process. As part of their trade for Kelly Oubre Jr. — the Warriors will owe the Oklahoma City Thunder their first round pick if it lands in the top 20 this season.

If the Golden State Warriors continue playing as strongly as they have been, they will ultimately punt their own 2021 NBA Draft pick.

As of now, the Warriors have no worries about losing their pick. Since they sit at 10th in the Western Conference and are actually outside of the postseason picture, the Thunder won’t acquire their pick.

However, assuming the Dubs continue to hit their stride and punch their ticket to the playoffs by winning the Play-In tournament or jumping all the way to sixth in the standings — their first round selection would transfer to OKC.

This trade-off might seem worth it for those who value playoff experience more than a late lottery pick for the Warriors. While this mindset was understandable before, the loss of James Wiseman decreases the worth of making the playoffs if the main goal is to develop the youth.

Nevertheless, a competitive playoff series would benefit the development of players like Andrew Wiggins, Kelly Oubre, Jordan Poole, Eric Paschall, Damion Lee and Juan Toscano-Anderson. And, fortunately, the Warriors can still earn a top draft pick elsewhere.

Don’t forget, the Dubs will own the rights to Minnesota’s first round pick if it falls out of the top three. The Timberwolves are matched with the Detroit Pistons and Houston Rockets for the best odds of winning the NBA Draft Lottery — but still hold a near 60 percent chance of dropping to fourth, fifth or sixth in the order.

Because of this, the Warriors shouldn’t worry too much about potentially losing their own pick to OKC. The focus should be on winning and building as much momentum as possible heading into the next season.

Above all else, their pick didn’t hold great odds anyway. Being 13th in the lottery means just a four percent chance of landing in the top four, with an over 90 percent chance of being 13 or 14 in the order. All things considered, reaching the playoffs should be the goal.