OAKLAND – Less than a week has passed since the Warriors season ended, but general manager Bob Myers now has more clarity on what he sees from the NBA draft on Thursday.
He joked he still does not feel ready since he is only six days removed from when the Warriors lost to the Toronto Raptors in Game 6 of the NBA Finals. Still, Myers maintained “we’ll be ready” with how the Warriors use their No. 28 and No. 58 picks, respectively.
“We have a lot of good people that have been focused on it all year,” Myers said. “So you rely on the people you worked with.”
Those people include Warriors assistant general manager Larry Harris as well as a handful of scouts in Mike Dunleavy, Lamont Peterson, Reggie Rankin and Kosta Jankov. Those people also have watched college prospects all season. Myers said they also oversaw between 40 to 50 draft prospects work out this summer, which included a few returnees.
So in what Myers called a “decently deep draft,” how will the Warriors sift through all the draft workouts, footage and interviews? As Myers said “a lot of moving parts to this one.” So even if Myers remained coy about the team’s definitive plans, he left a few clues.
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Warriors likely to select talent over need
Consider it one of the 10 commandments in the NBA. When you have a late draft pick to select among a handful of unproven players, you don’t determine first how they will fill a positional need. You determine first if they can actually play.
“It’s usually best player available,” Myers said. “I never experienced a straight up tie.”
The Warriors have several offseason needs, including secondary scoring, wing and center depth and a mix of young and veteran players. That makes it unpredictable which value the Warriors place first. Will they place a higher value on more experienced players? With injuries to Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson, do they place the most value on finding shooters? With DeMarcus Cousins, Kevon Looney and Jordan Bell all set to become free agents, do they try to find center depth to anticipate losing at least some of those players?
Instead of analyzing those variables, Myers said the Warriors will focus more on the finding the following players.
“Good young players, whatever position they are,” Myers said. “Those players have the most value in the NBA – rookie contract players that show themselves to have a skill and can play. Especially next year, we afford more opportunity for who we pick. Maybe we get a guy who can step in. We will have more opportunity next year. No matter what happens in free agency, we’ll have more of an opportunity for a young guy.”
There’s handful of players that fit the Warriors’ various needs. The shooters: Arizona State freshman shooting guard Luguentz Dort and Belmont senior forward Dylan Windler. The wings: Kansas junior forward Dedric Lawson, Stanford sophomore forward KZ Okpala. The experienced: Purdue junior point guard Carsen Edwards; Washington senior shooting guard Matisse Thybulle.
Unlike in previous seasons, the Warriors are no longer considered NBA championship favorites. Still, they plan to evaluate their prospects by determining if they are so-called “16-game players.”
“You want a guy you can project playing in the playoffs,” Myers said. “That’s what we’re all trying to do – win playoff games. Can you find a guy that has a skill? Can you find a guy that you believe has the potential to do it?”
Injuries to Durant, Thompson will influence offseason moves
Myers offered no medical updates on Durant, who had surgery last week in New York to treat his ruptured right Achilles tendon. Myers only confirmed that Thompson has not had surgery on a torn ACL in his left knee, which is something most players do until the swelling decreases. Other than that, Myers offered no additional insight on his two injured All-Stars. Myers wanted to talk about the NBA draft, instead.
Nonetheless, those injuries will influence how the Warriors weigh their draft and free agency needs. And why wouldn’t it? Durant may not play at all for the Warriors next season, whether it is because of a free-agency departure or because of a season-long rehab on his right Achilles tendon. Thompson is expected to miss at least half of next season.
Hence, the Warriors consider it the biggest priority to boost their secondary scoring. Not only could that offset the absences to Durant and Thompson. That could help the Warriors play Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala more conservatively. Hence, Myers said “we’ll need guys who can play big minutes.”
“We’ll likely be diminished in that area,” Myers said. “Do you try to do that through trade, free agency and draft, the hard part is every team that shooting is at a premium. The highest premium it’s ever been … We’re obviously fortunate enough to have some great shooters. But you can never have enough of that stuff.”
How likely will Warriors buy a pick?
Without accounting for Durant, Thompson and Cousins possibly returning, the Warriors have just over $113 million committed in roster salary next season. Still, expect the Warriors to buy additional picks in Thursday’s draft.
“We’d like to have as many picks as we can,” Myers said. “But I think we have to be aware we have some youth already and who will be back and what spots we’ll have to fill.”
The Warriors paid $2.4 million to the Milwaukee Bucks for the rights to their No. 38 pick in 2016, which was used on Patrick McCaw. The Warriors paid $3.5 million to the Chicago Bulls for the rights to their No. 38 pick in 2017, which was used on Jordan Bell. McCaw showed mixed progress his first two seasons before having an unexpected holdout last summer and eventually signing with Toronto. Bell has received mixed grades.
Still, the Warriors are mindful they have limited spending power this summer. They can only sign players with a taxpayer mid-level exception ($5.5 million) and veteran’s minimum deals. Therefore, Myers indicated Warriors majority owner Joe Lacob has maintained his stance on allowing the front office to spend when needed.
“Winning has always been the primary goal,” Myers said. “We run a business. It’s not being completely fiscally irresponsible. That has benefited us competitively. He’s responded affirmatively. There’s never been a hard budget, so to speak. We have to be cost conscious, too. Anybody would. But the decisions we made, don’t trust my words. Trust the payroll.”
Expect the Warriors to select Alen Smailagić at No. 58
Usually, it becomes difficult to guess what NBA team can find late in the second round. The Warriors might already know.
Smailagić has played for the Warriors’ G-League team in Santa Cruz this summer, and the 6-foot-10, 215-pound big impressed the organization with his finishing, fundamentals and rebounding. Myers called Smailagić “a draftable player” and noted that Santa Cruz coach Aaron Miles knows him well. The Warriors moved up in the G-League draft to select Smailagić, and might be selected so he can further develop in the G-League.
Nonetheless, the Warriors held a workout on Tuesday for second-round picks, including Jarrell Brantley and Isaiah Roby
“I don’t know if it’s a secret. I’m sure other teams have seen him as well,” Myers said. “He gives you a little bit more of an awareness. But I don’t know. We’re still drafting what we see out there.”
Myers offered clarity on the Warriors’ summer league team
Miles will coach the Warriors’ summer league team, which will include the No. 28 and No. 58 picks as well as second-year guard Jacob Evans. The Warriors also plan to sign two players on two-way deals and sign players to consider as training camp invitees. Warriors forward Alfonzo McKinnie, who has a non-guaranteed team option next season at $1.6 million next season, plans to go to Las Vegas to train individually.
The Warriors will play in the so-called “California Classic” in Sacramento with games on July 1 (vs. Kings, 8 pm PT), July 2 (vs. Lakers, 6 pm PT) and July 3 (vs. Miami 12 pm PT). The Warriors will then participate in Las Vegas Summer League from July 5-15, though the team’s itinerary is not finalized?
Will Draymond be part of the draft?
Last year, the Warriors’ All-Star sat in during draft workouts and in the boardroom during the draft. Will Green return this year?
“Maybe. I don’t think he’s in the Bay Are right now, but he might be coming back tomorrow,” Myers said. “I can’t keep him out if he wants to come in, I guess.”
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