© Quinn Harris | 2020 Mar 10
The Warriors aren’t just weighing who to draft with the No. 2 overall pick in Wednesday’s NBA Draft, they’ve got to decide if they want to pick there at all.
Golden State has an offer on the table to trade down with the Chicago Bulls, according to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer, one that would send former No. 7 overall pick Wendell Carter Jr. to the Warriors, while swapping the No. 2 and No. 4 overall picks in this draft.
Reports are that if the Warriors accept, the Bulls will take James Wiseman at No. 2, seeking him as an upgrade of Carter who they selected to be their center of the future in 2018. Wiseman is also who most believe the Warriors will select if they keep the No. 2 pick.
“If the Warriors drop, it’s unclear who their target is, but I’ve reported in the past that they’re high on a number of wings in the draft,” O’Connor writes regarding if the Warriors were to accept the Bulls offer. “Assuming Golden State keeps the second pick, Wiseman is the most likely choice.”
Deni Avidija is probably the most likely selection if the Warriors move down to No. 4, considering they flew overseas earlier this offseason to watch the Israeli prospect workout and were reportedly blown away. Avidija has the playmaking ability of a guard despite being 6-foot-9, though their are questions about his jumper.
Much of the Warriors’ decision on whether to accept the Bulls’ offer will have to do with their opinion of Carter Jr., who averaged nearly a double-double, 11.3 points and 9.4 rebounds per game, in 29.2 minutes per game last season, his second in the NBA. Despite being undersized for a traditional center at 6-foot-9, Carter is a plus defender thanks to his 7-foot-5 wingspan. The Bulls defense tanked when Carter Jr. was not on the floor last season.
Though adept at rolling to the hoop, Carter is not much of a shooter currently. He made just over 20 percent of this three-point attempts last season.