Draft Day has arrived with the Golden State Warriors currently possessing pick 19 ahead of what projects as a busy night for them and a multitude of organizations around the league.
It’s yet to be determined what the Warriors will do with their selection — do they take the best available prospect, the one most likely to contribute to a championship-contending team next season, or could they utilize it in a trade scenario?
The Golden State Warriors could get a steal should Gradey Dick slide down to pick 19 in the first-round of the 2023 NBA Draft.
A plethora of names have been linked with Golden State’s pick over recent weeks/months, but one that barely has (until now) is shooting-guard Gradey Dick. The 6’6″ prospect from Kansas is still projected to go around the top 10 in most mock drafts, including ESPN and Bleacher Report who each have Dick going 11 to the Orlando Magic.
However, The Ringer’s NBA Mock Draft by Kevin O’Connor has the 19-year-old sliding all the way to the Warriors at 19. It would be a shocking and unlikely scenario, but one that could all of a sudden come into play as we inch closer to draft time.
"“Dick landing here would be a bit of a surprise since he’s gotten some top-10 hype”, O’Connor writes. But all it takes is one or two surprises, such as Clowney and Jaquez, and then someone has to slide. It’d be a blessing for the Warriors, since Dick could help immediately in Steve Kerr’s motion-based offensive system.”"
Dick averaged 14.1 points and 5.1 rebounds in 32.7 minutes across 36 games with Kansas, shooting an impressive 40.3% from three-point range. ESPN’s Jonathan Givony has labelled him as “arguably the best shooter in the draft”, which would only add to the Warriors’ elite shooting capacity led by all-time snipers in Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.
The defensive side of the floor may be where Dick struggles to find a rotation spot early should he end up on the Warriors. O’Connor describes him as a ‘high-effort defender’, though one with a ‘skinny frame’ and ‘subpar lateral quickness’ that could make him a target.
Nonetheless, Dick would be a steal for the Warriors at 19 should they retain the selection. The Gatorade National Player of the Year in 2022, still expect him to be taken well before Golden State gets the opportunity.