One of the biggest storylines of this Thursday’s NBA Draft is what the Golden State Warriors will do with their two lottery picks, which currently sit at No. 7 and 14. Warriors veterans Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green have made it clear to management that they want the franchise to prioritize immediate championship contention, per The Athletic’s Marcus Thompson, which is code for putting those picks on the table as part of a potential trade package.
In that same piece, Thompson reported that Bradley Beal would be at the top of the Warriors’ wish list. He’s an immensely talented scorer and underrated playmaker who would fit perfectly in Golden State’s ball-and-player-movement system, and having tuned 28 just last month, he’s still got plenty of prime years ahead of him.
Another superstar name that has been mentioned as a potential Warriors target is Damian Lillard, but Thompson reported that the Warriors “don’t suspect” Lillard would want to come to Golden State even if he were to demand a trade and Portland was to make him available. Thus they’ve turned their attention to Beal, who also hasn’t officially asked for a trade but is believed to be strongly considering doing so.
“Like a lot of the league, Golden State’s going to wait and see how it goes with Bradley Beal,” ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said on Sunday. “Short of Bradley Beal being available, I expect Golden State to use those picks at 7 and 14 this week.” -CBS