SAN FRANCISCO — In every major professional sport, there are hundreds of examples of draft-day misjudgments, flowery self-flattery that turn to regret within a matter of months and, often, an executive losing his job.
So, the Warriors used their limited picks in the 2024 NBA Draft on Thursday to make decisions that won’t light up social media but make a statement about their sense of urgency.
He made moves that reaffirmed his commitment to maximizing the remaining years of the Stephen Curry era.
Golden State has added three 20-somethings with resumes. Average age: 24.
“We’re not just sitting here trying to get the old guys in,” general manager Mike Dunleavy said during a news conference at Chase Center. “We’re trying to develop guys who are good basketball players. If it takes a little time or a long period of time to evaluate it, we are less concerned about age.
With no selections in the first round and, therefore, little chance of finding a future All-Star, Golden State collected players who defied the NBA Draft trend of looking for teenagers with “upside”. A more logical trend in what was widely considered an extraordinary draft.
The Warriors traded their only pick Thursday morning, 52nd overall, to Oklahoma City for 26-year-old Lindy Waters III, a wing who has endured three years of pro hoops, the last three in the Thunder system.
“I don’t think we would have traded for a guy using a draft pick if we didn’t think (he could compete for a spot in the rotation),” Dunleavy said. “His skill set and the way he plays, it fits the way we play. “We feel like he’s a guy we can plug and play.”
On Thursday afternoon, they reacquired that No. 52 pick (which OKC had traded to Portland) and selected 24-year-old Oyten Post, a 7-foot center who played 124 games at two Division I colleges. First started his journey in the Netherlands. In the United States.
“We identified him as a guy who can shoot the ball and stretch the floor, and he has really good size,” Dunleavy said. “We think he fights back. He defends the rim at a level that is NBA-acceptable. Good passerby. “It fits a lot of the things we look for.”
Less than an hour later, the Warriors reached an agreement on a two-way contract with 22-year-old Reece Beekman, a 6-foot-2-inch point guard who had started 121 of 126 games at the University of Virginia and earned him the ACC All-Star Game. Defensive was chosen. Player of the Year as a junior and senior.
We can’t know how much these three acquisitions will contribute to the Warriors, but the strategy of drafting “veteran” prospects is entirely logical for a franchise with a higher investment in 2025 than in 2030.
A franchise that is trying to fill the gaps between at least two respected veterans, Draymond Green and Curry, and four youngsters — Tracy Jackson-Davis, Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, Brandin Podziemski — as front office keepers. cites.
That was the plan entering the week. And it remained that way until the end of the draft.
You’ll recall, the Warriors selected five teenagers in three drafts ending in 2022. James Wiseman (2020), Patrick Baldwin Jr. (2022) and Ryan Rollins (2022) were traded. Only Kuminga and Moody remain.
Kuminga is now 21 and improved enough last season to move into the starting lineup. Moody turned 22 last month and has proven himself capable of earning a spot in the rotation.
But this draft exercise was about finding players who may not be bound for stardom but have a chance to contribute immediately. Three members of Golden State’s four-ring club are getting older. Curry is 36 years old, Green is 34 years old. Klay Thompson, should he return, is 34 years old. Still, the Warriors are open to the possibility of adding another accomplished veteran.
They know what they want. And they know they need to complement players with salaries that are easy on the payroll. This was a case of low-risk gambling with the expectation of high rewards. And so on.
Dunleavy said, “For me, as an evaluator, the more things a guy can do well, the more I like that guy.” “Unlike some of these guys who don’t do a lot of things, or only do them for short periods of time.”
Waters, Post and Beekman offer copious amounts of video for evaluation. Reduces the element of mystery, which is a huge risk for these warriors at this time.
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