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."
Woj said he expects one of two outcomes for the Warriors draft picks: either Golden State will package 7 & 14 in a Bradley Beal trade or they’ll end up using the picks 👀 only 4 days way from the NBA draft #DubNation pic.twitter.com/cxXsdJuiLt
— Golden Gate Hoops (@GoIdenGateHoops) July 26, 2021
In other words, as it stands right now, it's Beal or bust as far as the Warriors emptying the cupboard for a star acquisition. But the operative phrasing in that Wojnarowski quote is "like a lot of the league" the Warriors are going to wait and see what happens with Beal. Should he become available, the Warriors certainly won't be alone in trying to get him.
But they might well have the best package. The No. 7 and 14 picks in this year's draft plus last year's No. 2 pick James Wiseman, plus perhaps a couple of future picks and/or swaps (which could become very valuable if they're later in the decade when the Warriors have possibly fallen off after one last run with their current core), is a tough package to beat. Andrew Wiggins could make the money work. It's certainly intriguing for both sides.
As with all rumors this time of year, we'll wait and see what comes of this. But if Beal is going to ask out of Washington, it's a good bet that it happens before Thursday's draft, which would give the Wizards the chance to go after vacant draft picks before they're actually used on a player, or to set up an agreement on draft night for a team like the Warriors to select the players the Wizards would want at 7 and 14 with a pending Beal deal in place.
