The suspense of the NBA Draft is unlike any other. Lottery teams are putting their future into one prospect — hoping to find the savior of their franchise. 

In a move that took many by surprise — the Orlando Magic selected Duke forward Paolo Banchero as the No. 1 overall pick. Gonzaga center Chet Holmgren went No. 2, and Auburn forward Jabari Smith Jr. went No. 3. 

As for the Warriors, the reigning champions had the No. 28 and No. 55 picks — which they used to draft Milwaukee forward Patrick Baldwin Jr. and Brazilian forward Gui Santos respectively. Additionally — the Warriors sent their No. 51 pick and $2 million to the Atlanta Hawks for Toledo guard Ryan Rollins.

“We watched some film together and you can tell [Patrick Baldwin Jr. is] a coach's son,” Warriors GM Bob Myers said. “Our system requires pretty high-level thinking. He’s versatile. We think he can play with some of our guys. He’s what some might call a shooting big, but he can also pass.” 

A quick look at Baldwin Jr.’s highlights shows that he has what it takes to be a solid contributor to the Warriors future in years to come. Listed at 6’9”, Baldwin Jr. can make plays off the bounce, shoot with confidence and has a high basketball IQ. He can also stretch the floor with his outside shooting. Although he didn’t necessarily shoot the lights out in college — Baldwin Jr. demonstrated that he’s not afraid to take the open shot.

It seems like the Warriors were already in Baldwin Jr.’s future, as he did his best Stephen Curry impersonation once. In that game versus Robert Morris University — Baldwin Jr. dropped 26 points and went a perfect six-for-six from 3-point range. 

Baldwin Jr. averaged a little over 12.1 points and 5.8 rebounds in his lone year at Milwaukee. His presence will add another wing player — which the Warriors will be in need of. Bleacher Report compared Baldwin Jr. to Atlanta Hawks forward Danilo Gallinari.

The Warriors also traded for Rollins — who averaged 16.4 points and 5.6 rebounds in his two years in Toledo. His pro comparison is Utah Jazz forward Nickeil Alexander-Walker. Rollins is a score-first point guard — but the Warriors will need guard depth.

“It was about how high we had him [on our draft board] and how much we liked him,” Myers said. “We think this guy is very talented and we wanted him on our roster. At the end of the day we saw the talent and we didn’t think he’d be there at No. 51.” 

Though Baldwin Jr. and Rollins might see some action in the regular season — Santos seems to be more of a draft-and-stash prospect. Because of their international status — if these players come to the NBA — the team that drafted them can still maintain their rights. Depending on their overseas contracts, the team might wait and see if there is enough cap room to bring the prospect over.

Santos has a promising future, as he helped Brazil win gold in the FIBA South America U-17 Championship. Some strengths include playmaking ability but he needs to work on shooting consistently. 

As for the summer league, Baldwin Jr. is still dealing with an ankle injury per Myers and hasn’t been cleared for summer league just yet, although Rollins should make the 15-man roster.

(Photo credit: Alan Youngblood / Associated Press)