© Cary Edmondson | 2021 Mar 25
Just because the Warriors have the No. 7 and No. 14 overall picks in this year’s NBA Draft, doesn’t mean they are going to pick at No. 7 and No. 14.
General manager Bob Myers has made it clear that the team is in win-now mode, and that adding veteran talent is the priority this year. That would seem to run counter to taking two rookies, after selecting James Wiseman at No. 2 overall last year, meaning some sort of trade seems very much on the table.
Trading for another star could prove tricky considering the Warriors’ cap situation, but what about trading for a higher pick. That’s something already being discussed by people at the draft combine according to ESPN’s Zach Lowe, who mentioned a wild hypothetical deal on his “Lowe Post” podcast with draft expert Jonathan Givony, involving Detroit and the No. 1 overall pick. According to Givony, the Pistons would be interested.
Lowe: “Someone here in Chicago [at the draft combine] pitched me — do you think the Warriors or the Pistons would do Golden State offers No. 7, 14 and [James] Wiseman for the No. 1 pick in the draft? Does either side do that? If I’m Detroit, it depends what you think about Wiseman because seven and 14, if you look at the average expected return on seven and 14, it’s not awesome. Particularly 14. You have to love Wiseman to do that. I am curious what the Warriors do given those picks, given they are all in win-now mode. They are not going to worry about if Wiseman’s got to start. They are trying to win right now. What kind of players do they pick, do they flip those picks for a veteran? Seven and 14 aren’t like golden chips.
Givony: “The Warriors are one of the big storylines that we’re gonna be following for sure. Not just because they move the needle, but because their situation is so interesting. What is Steph going to do a year from now? What do they think about Wiseman deep down? As you may remember, I was not a James Wiseman guy and I was not shocked by the year he had. I don’t subscribe to the theory that what DeAndre Ayton is doing now should make them feel any better. DeAndre Ayton was a 10x better prospect than James Wiseman…
“And yeah, I think Detroit would definitely look at that. They were one of the teams that supposedly loved Wiseman a year ago. So that could be an interesting move for them. But their fans would be disappointed by that I would think.”
Lowe: “I just think Detroit takes whoever they want at No. 1 and throws a party.”
That deal would seem like a home run for the Warriors, who could pair likely No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham with the likes of Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins, in an insanely athletic and switchable lineup. Cunningham seems to have the skillset of a guy who can contribute right now, and one who would be the team’s star of the future.
Would the Pistons really pass on the opportunity to draft such a player? That remains to be seen.