The Golden State Warriors barely missed out on the top 6.
Since the Minnesota Timberwolves were one of the only teams late in the season with reasons not to tank, they went on a run. Karl-Anthony Towns and D’Angelo Russell ensured that the pick would convey to Golden State.
The Golden State Warriors have the No. 7 overall pick, and with the top 6 somewhat set, they should have an idea of what draft night holds.
There was a chance that Minnesota landed in the top 3, just a small one though. That said, the Warriors were gifted the No. 7 pick as one of the many pieces they received in the 2020 Andrew Wiggins trade.
Golden State now has the No. 7 and No. 14 pick in the upcoming draft. Ideally, they’ll be able to package them to move up and draft a top-tier forward or potentially couple them with Wiggins to scoop an All-Star caliber player.
Nonetheless, if they do decide to keep the 7th overall pick, they should have a good idea of what’s to come.
Cade Cunningham is clearly a top-six pick. He’ll be the No. 1 overall select. Jalen Green, Evan Mobley, Scottie Barnes, Jonathan Kuminga, and Jalen Suggs are the other five that are clearly not going to be sitting on the board at No. 7.
Corey Kispert, Davion Mitchell, Moses Moody and Keon Johnson should be the best available. It seems like the desire around Dub Nation right now is that the team takes either Moody or the high-flying Johnson.
It’s both a positive and a negative that the Warriors know where others stand in the coming drafts. Those four should, without a doubt, be the top available on the board unless Moody or Johnson somehow manages to go in the top 6.
With that being unlikely, Golden State can gauge their interview process and workouts accordingly.
I assume they’ll look towards a win-now player or trade the pick. Moody seems like the best prospect to immediately contribute, having been the top-scoring threat at Arkansas and also have a capability to shoot from deep.
In the next few weeks, we’ll get a clearer picture painted of who would best fit with this Warriors roster.
However, for them to compete immediately as the Big 3 all age into their mid-30s, they need to consider coupling the picks and trading them, especially since the Warriors won’t get a top-six player with their pick.
The gap between 6 and 7 is enough to strongly consider trading the pick.