The Golden State Warriors didn’t own a first round pick during the NBA Draft, but the newly-minted champions, and their indestructible nucleus, impacted some of the movement on Thursday.
In a pair of polar opposite strategies, Boston opted for the long play and Minnesota put their chips on the table. Conquering the Warriors — and when — was on both teams’ minds.
The Celtics refused to give up their No. 3 overall pick or next year’s first rounder from Brooklyn in a trade for Jimmy Butler. Another deal with the Pacers for Paul George lost steam during the draft, according to The Vertical. Danny Ainge sent a signal: we’re playing the long game. The Celtics want to bet on their scouting department and try to get young, cheap, homegrown stars to take over the league once the Warriors — and 32-year-old LeBron James — begin to fizzle out. They aren’t going to rush to get to the finish line because frankly, Ainge understands he doesn’t have the firepower yet to win it all. Butler would’ve made Boston better tomorrow, but would it in 2021? They are betting on Jayson Tatum, a talented scoring forward, to become a franchise player. It’s a gamble from the Celtics, but it’s becoming clear what they’re doing.
The Timberwolves, on the other hand, did decide to swing for the fences, trading two solid pieces (Zach LaVine, Kris Dunn) to Chicago for Butler, who turns 28 in September. The Timberwolves saw an opening to trade a pair of quarters for a dollar bill. Superstars are extremely difficult to accumulate in the NBA. Now Minnesota potentially has three with Karl-Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins and Butler — who, with his Olympic experience and age, becomes the top dog in the group. They are still several shooters away from even beating the Warriors once in a postseason series, but the Timberwolves are positioning themselves to become Golden State’s top adversaries a few years from now. This was a necessary step for them to make — almost a no-brainer.
The Portland Trail Blazers, you ask? They traded with the Kings to move up and acquire a stretch center — a player they hope can matchup with Draymond Green. Zach Collins is a 7-footer who stretches the floor. Every move Portland makes is about Golden State. Sorry to upset Portland fans, but Collins ain’t gonna be enough.
The Cleveland Cavaliers were frantically trying to keep up with the Warriors earlier in the week, but were dealt several blows. GM David Griffin, the first and only executive to surround LeBron with the proper talent to win a title in Cleveland, was ousted by owner Dan Gilbert. Then reports surfaced the team was pulling the plug on trying to acquire Butler or George. Kevin Love’s stock has plummeted and it looks like the Cavs are stuck with him. Carmelo Anthony, 33, is likely next on LeBron’s wishlist.
Luke Walton’s Los Angeles Lakers just got a hell of a lot more interesting — and his job just got harder. Coaching Lonzo Ball, who was stunningly garnering Jason Kidd comparisons, will be a joy. Dealing with the headaches LaVar Ball provides will become a distraction at some point. Walton is a chill dude who can disarm confrontation. But if Lonzo’s father is mouthing off in the media and criticizing the coach, there will be problems. For now, Walton is thrilled George hasn’t been dealt. The Pacers aren’t foolish enough to let George hit free agency, though, so Los Angeles will have to concoct some trade scenario.
We’ll see what shakes out in the second round. It would be surprising if Bob Myers didn’t trade back into the action. Last year’s pick of Patrick McCaw paid off and then some. Golden State is grooming him to become Andre Iguodala Lite. That’ll be a tough mountain to scale, but you can bet Myers and his staff have a couple of projected players they’d like to plug in right away next season. Stay tuned.