Will the Warriors trade into the first round?
It’s almost draft day.
Tomorrow is the 2024 NBA Draft and something very peculiar is currently scheduled to happen: the Golden State Warriors don’t have a scheduled draft pick. There are two reasons for that. The first is that the NBA is, for the first time, shifting to a multi-day draft like the NFL and MLB, so only the first round of the draft will take place on Wednesday; the second round happens on Thursday. And the second is that the Dubs’ first-round pick is headed to the Portland Trail Blazers (if you want the circuitous backstory, the Warriors traded that pick to the Memphis Grizzlies in the Andre Iguodala deal in 2019; the Grizzlies sent it to the Boston Celtics in the three-team deal that sent Marcus Smart to Memphis and Kristaps Porziņģis to Boston; and the Celtics sent it to the Blazers in the Jrue Holiday trade).
So, as things currently stand, GM Mike Dunleavy Jr. won’t get to make a draft pick until late on Thursday night, as the Warriors hold only the No. 52 pick in the draft.
The Warriors have had good recent luck with first-round picks, as three of their last four selections — 2023’s Brandin Podziemski and 2021’s Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody — are core parts of their roster. And given Golden State’s desperation to shed salary, the idea of some more rookie contracts have to be appealing to not just Dunleavy, but Joe Lacob.
So might we see the Warriors trade into the first round at some point on Wednesday? I’m sure it’s something they’re looking at, but I wouldn’t count on it happening. Teams aren’t exactly keen on giving up first-round picks, and Golden State doesn’t have much to offer outside of those aforementioned former first-rounders — plus Trayce Jackson-Davis — and I think it’s safe to say that the Dubs aren’t looking to unload those players for a non-elite rookie.
Really, the only feasible way that the Warriors end up in the first round of the 2024 Draft is if they unload Andrew Wiggins’ contract — or use Chris Paul’s soon-to-guarantee deal as part of a larger trade — and recoup a draft pick in the process. It’s fun to think about, but not particularly likely.
So keep your eye on the rumor and report mill tomorrow ... but don’t hold your breath if you’re hoping for a deal.