Upon my daily perusing of sports on the internet, I came across a very interesting article from the San Francisco Chronicle which spells out the several options the Golden State Warriors have when it comes to their four picks in the upcoming NBA Draft. The article speaks about trading all or some of the picks, a trade that was in place in 2011 and fell through (that I hadn't heard about), or even moving forward/back in the draft from the number seven slot.
Let's take a look at the options and weigh out which could benefit the Warriors the best:
Keep Pick(s)
If the Warriors keep their pick, there should be plenty of players available who could help the Warriors, but could again fall under the category of risky. Perry Jones III, Harrison Barnes, and Jared Sullinger should all be available when they Warriors get to their pick at number seven and any of those players could instantly help the Warriors. And it would also leave when with later picks to trade or utilize to get deeper. I like this option because it allows us to make several picks in the draft and acquire some quality players.
Trade Back
The Warriors could trade to move back in the draft in order to grab a player who has worked out with the team and shown interest in coming to the Warriors. I'm not sure what benefit this could have to the team in terms of improvement, but the desire to play somewhere could be an attractive attribute for a draft pick to possess. I'm not sure this is the best move for the Warriors to make. They should be aggressive when it comes to adding talent but then again they should make sure their moves are solid ones. There should be clear intent when picking a player.
Trade Up
Another option the Warriors have is to trade up. The player that has been mentioned or rather would be targeted by the Warriors moving up would be Michael Kidd-Gilchrist of Kentucky. The Warriors feel as if he would be the top-five prospect who best fits with what they are trying to do. Moving up to get Kidd-Gilchrist however would probably mean moving into the two or three spot and could cost them most or all of their draft picks. To me this move would be high risk. When you gun for a top prospect or any player really, you are taking a chance as to whether or not they will live up to the hype surrounding them. I loved Gilchrist when I saw him play in the NCAA tournament this past March, but will his NBA play match that of his college career? That is the unknown that causes trepidation.
Trade for Current Player
In 2011, the Warriors apparently had a trade in place to acquire Andre Iguodala from the Philadelphia 76ers - in exchange for Monta Ellis. The trade was vetoed while the 76ers were in the process of being sold. Now that they have some ammunition with their trade picks, perhaps they could entice the 76ers to once again try to trade for Iguodala - or perhaps another player like the Memphis Grizzlies' Rudy Gay or the Atlanta Hawks' Josh Smith. Whether it is all of their picks, or just a fraction - and possibly include Dorell Wright along with it - the Warriors could get the small forward they've been searching for. I like this move by the team because there would be no surprises with the player they would acquire. Instead of a player who would have to live up to their potential, they would receive a player who is NBA battle-tested.
Food for thought: As a fan, what would you most like to see the Warriors do and why? Would you like them to trade their pick(s) for a current NBA star, trade back, trade up, or keep their pick?
David is co-founder of wrapupp sports blog where fresh content is posted daily and present sports blogs and sports opinions - all with a West Coast bias. Growing up in the Bay Area, David is a huge supporter of all the local sports teams; the Giants, Athletics, Warriors, Sharks, 49ers, and Raiders. His one fault, admittedly, as many of his friends and family would say, is his love for the Los Angeles Lakers. Growing up, Magic Johnson was his favorite basketball player and he fell in love with the team. He chalks it up to, "Not knowing any better". Now his love for sports has turned just as academic as it is intuitive and he follows most all sports all over the nation.
You can follow David on Twitter: @officialwrapupp
Sources:
NBA.com. Warriors' front office ponders its draft options. NBA 2012.
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