The NBA Draft Lottery has been run and won by the Dallas Mavericks in shocking fashion on Monday night, though the Golden State Warriors are far more focused on the upcoming Game 4 of their second-round series against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
While a host of lottery-based teams are looking towards their future, the Warriors are still firmly about the present. That was evidenced in the Jimmy Butler trade, having given up their 2025 first-round pick (20th overall) to the Miami Heat in the deal.
As many were solidifying picks that could change the destiny of their franchise over the next 15-20 years, the Draft Lottery was a reminder of the potentially massive offseason ahead for Golden State and what they may do to maximize the remaining years of Stephen Curry.
Do the Warriors mortgage their future further during the offseason?
The Warriors have been reasonably conservative with their first-round picks over recent years, at least in comparison to some other teams who now find themselves in disastrous positions. Golden State have relinquished their first-round picks in the last two years, but otherwise took five between 2020-2023.
The problem is that they've got so little out of their three lottery picks in 2020 and 2021, even if Jonathan Kuminga provided a reminder of his enormous talent in Game 3 against the Timberwolves with a playoff career-high 30 points.
So where do Golden State go now? They have multiple first-round picks they can trade this offseason, but mortgaging the future for a 37-year-old Curry brings with it a painful decision. The Warriors won't be too concerned with missing out on the Draft Lottery on Monday, with the Butler trade having certainly been worth it in getting them to this current position.
However, the pain will be palpable if the franchise heads to future lotteries and relinquish picks in the post-Curry era, particularly if they can't grab a fifth title between now and then. The future would look a lot more bright had Golden State taken full advantage of those three recent lottery picks, but alas they missed the opportunity of a true two-timelines dream.
Speaking of that, the Warriors will have a decision to make on Kuminga as a restricted free agent this offseason. Do they secure part of their future by signing him to a significant contract extension, or is he another means to obtaining more veteran talent via a sign-and-trade?
Either way, it's a big offseason for Golden State who now have to deal with a conference rival getting an incredibly unlikely boost as Dallas get the first pick and presumably a future star in Cooper Flagg.