Golden State Warriors 2021 NBA Draft Lottery Recap
After the ping pong balls fell it’s now official: the Golden State Warriors own the seventh and fourteenth overall picks in the coming 2021 NBA Draft. Golden State headed into the lottery with the possibility of taking the Timberwolves’ 2021 first-round pick, should it have fallen outside of the top three. Now after dealing away D’Angelo Russell to Minnesota at the 2020 NBA trade deadline, Golden State officially received Andrew Wiggins and two first-round picks in the 2021 draft in return. The question ahead remains: will the Warriors actually use those two selections come July 29?
After registering a 39-33 record this past season, with Stephen Curry finishing as an MVP finalist and Draymond Green finishing as a DPOY finalist, all while missing Klay Thompson for a second consecutive season, the truth is clear: Golden State has to maximize their window for contention right here, right now. An open-wide NBA Playoffs that are underway as we speak only heightens that priority for the Warriors. With Thompson returning more motivated than ever, Golden State has a chance to remind the league that a trio of Steph, Draymond, and Klay is still a force to be reckoned with.
That trio will need an additional boost to the larger Warriors rotation, and now with two first-round picks, Golden State’s front office has a couple of paths ahead to bolster the roster. Do they leverage those two picks and add in two young prospects, or do they package both (with an additional asset) to bring back a veteran player?
To be fair, the outcome of the draft lottery wasn’t the best-case scenario (Golden State had a shot at getting the fourth overall pick at the most), but by no means was it the worst case either. If the Timberwolves kept their pick in the 2021 draft, deferring the swap to next year which could have potentially decreased its value, then that would be hard to stomach. Instead, Golden State gets two first-rounders and the chance to make a big move this coming off-season.
If you’re a Warriors fan (and if you happen to be Steph, Klay, or Draymond) chances are you want to see Bob Myers work his magic and package those two picks for a much-needed veteran addition to the roster. An additional veteran presence was sorely missed last season, and Golden State already has some promising young talent like Jordan Poole and James Wiseman to continue to develop. And with Andrew Wiggins relishing in his first full season in the Bay, what the Warriors truly need is a big-time veteran contributor.
Now with two first-round picks at their disposal, the Warriors have a better haul of assets to entice a prospective team for a trade before July’s NBA Draft. If Bob Myers and company are smart, they’ll heed the words of Steph, Klay, and Draymond. And if speculation is to be believed, then that championship core wants some veteran help to make another run at a championship. If that proves to be a priority for everyone in the Warriors organization, then expect an active offseason, starting with those two first-round picks in the 2021 NBA Draft.