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The Golden State Warriors recently won their fourth championship in eight seasons. The Warriors also own the 28th overall pick in the upcoming NBA draft. However, the latest rumors suggest that Golden State might not be eager to keep the pick.
According to Jeremy Woo of Sports Illustrated, the Warriors are looking to trade the 28th pick. Woo explained that Golden State already has a nice young core of players. He also noted that the Warriors will try to save as much money as possible due to their bloated payroll. Woo wrote:
"Sources say the Warriors are working to trade this pick, considering their hefty payroll and the need to integrate James Wiseman, Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody into the rotation next season."
Woo's recent mock draft has the Golden State Warriors selecting Patrick Baldwin Jr. from Milwaukee. Baldwin is a 19-year-old power forward with good size and shooting potential. He struggled in his lone college season and has an injury history.
"Teams will have to understand the context and feel comfortable to actually take the leap," Woo wrote. "Baldwin's athleticism, defense and lack of physicality have inspired concern, but there are only so many knockdown shooters at his size, and most of them are valuable."
In the second round, the Warriors own the 51st and 55th picks. They could look at players such as Hugo Besson and J.D. Davison. It will be interesting to see what Golden State's draft plans are.
The Golden State Warriors built their success through the NBA draft
The Warriors drafted Steph Curry in 2009, while Klay Thompson and Draymond Green were picked in 2011. Curry, Thompson and Green have been at the core of their four championships in the last eight years.
Kevin Durant signed with them as a free agent in 2016, winning two championships in three finals appearances.
Durant was traded to the Brooklyn Nets for D'Angelo Russell, who was used to acquire Andrew Wiggins and a first-round pick. The pick became Jonathan Kuminga, one of Golden State's best young players.
The Warriors were also able to develop Jordan Poole, the 28th pick in 2019, into one of the best young scorers in the league. They still have James Wiseman, who was taken second overall in 2020. Add in Moses Moody, and the Warriors have a great core that will likely contend for more championships.
The only question for the Golden State Warriors moving forward is, can they pay everyone? Team president and general manager Bob Myers had a simple answer (h/t Sporting News).
"I mean, thankfully (I) work for an ownership group in Joe (Lacob) that has committed all kinds of resources to winning," Myers said.
"I know that because every time I asked him about roster and strategy, it's always winning. ... He just wants to win. And we've spent a lot and we've kept all the players we want to keep, so I don't see that changing."
Guess the Lakers players!
