The Golden State Warriors have made their fare share of draft mistakes over recent years, but there's one recent selection that may go under the radar more than any other.
After winning the championship in 2022, the Warriors held the 28th pick in the draft and took five-star recruit Patrick Baldwin Jr. While the 6'9" forward showed some positive signs in his rookie year, he was traded to the Washington Wizards shortly after and now finds his NBA career in jeapordy.
Golden State missed out on numerous players who've developed into key rotation players around the league in the three years since, but none perhaps more notable than Andrew Nembhard who was selected three picks later by the Indiana Pacers at 31st overall.
Nembhard has since become a key starter for a Pacers team now preparing for Game 7 of the NBA Finals, yet the Warriors may have the opportunity to atone for their blunder come next week's draft.
The Warriors could select Ryan Nembhard in the 2025 NBA Draft
The younger Nembhard brother, Ryan, will be searching for his NBA home next week after completing four years of college at Creighton and Gonzaga. A potential second-round pick, the 6'0" point guard is likely to be available at Golden State's selection and is at least on the radar of the franchise after working out in the Bay at the start of the month.
Nembhard was the NCAA assists leader this year, dishing out 9.8 dimes per game while only comitting 2.5 turnovers. The 22-year-old also added 10.5 points and 1.7 steals per game, shooting an improved 40.4% from 3-point range after just 32.1% the year prior.
Kevin O'Connor of Yahoo Sports has Nembhard going 47th overall to the Milwaukee Bucks and makes the comparison to Tyus Jones, while other mock drafts have him going in the 50's or missing out on selection altogether.
"...He plays as you’d expect as a smart decision-maker who manages the game at a high level. He dictates tempo, reads defenses quickly, and makes pinpoint passes," O'Connor wrote while noting the obvious size concerns.
Taking Nembhard 41st overall could actually be a reach from Golden State, but they do have a void at the point guard position that he could fill perhaps as early as next season. After dealing Dennis Schroder in February's trade for Jimmy Butler, the Warriors don't really have a certified backup point guard behind Stephen Curry on the roster right now.
Combine that with the history of bypassing his older brother to detrimental effect, and it's not difficult to envisage the Warriors taking a risk on Nembhard come the second-round of the draft.