Superstar's admission adds further pain to Golden State Warriors' draft nightmare

Tyrese Haliburton's rise into NBA stardom has inspired brutal reminders for the Golden State Warriors, with the franchise having passed on the 6'5" point-guard in the 2020 NBA Draft.

Having been taken 12th overall by the Sacramento Kings, the Warriors were far from the only team to have missed on Haliburton. However, Golden State continues to be the team whose link to the 23-year-old is most prevalent in media circles.

Tyrese Haliburton believes the Golden State Warriors would have drafted him if they had a pick outside the top three

Former Warrior General Manager Bob Myers recently admitted his mistake in passing on Haliburton, stating, "I should have known then because of who he is as a person and as a leader."

Myers and Golden State selected seven-foot center James Wiseman second overall, with the Memphis product traded after just 60 games in less than three seasons with the team.

While the franchise and fans have come to lament the Wiseman pick, perhaps more of the frustration should be placed on the prior draft lottery and the fact the Warriors garnered the second selection.

In a recent interview with The Athletic's Tim Kawakami, Haliburton revealed the he was 'disappointed' in the draft lottery because he believed Golden State would have taken him him with a pick outside the top three.

"“Yeah, I did,” Haliburton responded when asked if he had envisaged himself playing with Stephen Curry. “I was disappointed that they (had) the No. 2 pick because I felt like if they were anywhere out of the top three, I felt like I was going to be the pick.”"

Anthony Edwards, Wiseman and LaMelo Ball were the consensus top three picks heading into the draft, meaning Haliburton was never a realistic option regardless of how much Golden State may have been impressed.

Haliburton is averaging 24.5 points, 3.9 rebounds and 12.1 assists in 25 games this season, though the Indiana Pacers are just 2-6 since losing the inaugural NBA Cup Final to the Los Angeles Lakers on December 10.