Workouts hint at Warriors’ plans
With less than two weeks before the NBA Draft, the Warriors are putting the final touches on their draft board before getting set to use picks No. 7 and 14. This week, they’ve held workouts with several prospects who figure to be selected in the lottery. Chances are, one or two of the players who have passed through Chase Center could end up being drafted by Golden State later this month.
Among likely first-round picks, the Warriors have worked out Florida’s Tre Mann, G League Ignite’s Isaiah Todd, LSU’S Cameron Thomas, Arkansas’ Moses Moody, Duke’s Jalen Johnson, Texas’ Kai Jones and Baylor’s Davion Mitchell.
On Friday, Tennessee’s Keon Johnson, Oregon’s Chris Duarte, Gonzaga’s Corey Kispert, Virginia’s Trey Murphy III and Stanford’s Ziaire Williams will work out in front of the Warriors brass.
That’s most of the players expected to be selected in Golden State’s range. One notable exception, NBL standout Josh Giddey, has shut down pre-draft workouts going forward. The Warriors, however, had already evaluated Giddey in person before his decision. At 6-foot-8, Giddey provides a tantalizing combination of size and natural playmaking ability that would be a welcome addition to many of Golden State’s lineups. Though there are questions about his shooting (31.1% from 3-point range last season), his feel for the game and finishing ability leaves little doubt that he’d be able to make an impact.
As the Warriors finalize their draft board, these workouts will prove vital. Each prospect participates in several scrimmages — ranging from 1-on-1 to 3-on-3 — takes 100 3-pointers and goes through a psychological evaluation, among a battery of other drills. On Wednesday, Golden State took Mitchell, Moody, Jones and Jalen Johnson out to dinner.
Each of those players bring something different to the table and has certain drawbacks. Mitchell, a ready-made defender, needs to refine his point guard skills before making a two-way impact in the NBA. He’s very much in play for the Warriors at No. 7, but so are a half-dozen other prospects.
Moody, a reliable off-thecatch shooter, believes the Warriors could help him round out his game.
“They develop their guys really well,” Moody said after his workout Thursday. “It’s a head start when you’re in this system. You’re learning how to play basketball at the highest level.”
Johnson, who worked out the same afternoon as Moody, is a jumbo-sized wing who fashions his game after tall playmakers such as Penny Hardaway, Magic Johnson, Lebron James and Ben Simmons. At 6-foot-8, 210 pounds, it could have been easy for Johnson to settle in on the low block.
But growing up, his dad stressed the importance of ballhandling. Although he averaged more turnovers (2.5) than assists (2.2) in 13 games at Duke, he draws comparisons to playmaking forwards such as Aaron
Gordon and Rudy Gay. Johnson believes Golden State would be a good match for his talents.
“Fast-paced, a lot of open space, great shooters,” Johnson said of the Warriors. “It’s a winning team.”
Johnson, Moody and Jones all worked out after Mitchell on Thursday. Mitchell went through his individual evaluation earlier so he could make a flight in the afternoon, giving Golden State’s decision-makers a chance to focus on one of the more polarizing prospects in the draft.
Mitchell impresses with his on-ball defense, ball-handling and hustle. He’s a high-iq player who took a leap on the offensive end during his junior year at Baylor, when he averaged 14 points and 5.5 assists and shot 44.7% from 3-point range. His 15-point, 6-rebound, 5-assist gem in the national championship game against Gonzaga helped Baylor win the title.
But Mitchell will be 23 when his rookie season starts, and there are questions about his size (6-foot-1 with a 6-foot-4 wingspan) and if his pedestrian 64.1% clip from the freethrow line is more indicative of his shooting ability.
Still, there’s little doubt that Mitchell can play a role right away. The Warriors are not interested in drafting a project who needs years of seasoning before being able to make a meaningful contribution. And although this draft is widely considered to have four or five
franchise-changing talents at the top, it’s also considered deep. There are players in this draft who will be able to help immediately and some outside the top five who will pop and become All-stars.
“I think there are guys in the draft that are good that you like,” Draymond Green said during a Team USA videoconference from Las Vegas. “You never know if a guy ultimately can help until they’re out there. But in saying that, there’s definitely some really good talent in this draft and there’s some good talent in this league, so we’ll see what happens.”
What Green is alluding to is the possibility of a trade. The Warriors’ two lottery picks could theoretically fetch a starterquality player. Golden State could pair one or both picks with existing salaries (such as Kevon Looney or a combination of smaller salaries) in a deal.
By packaging the salaries of both draft slots (roughly $5.5 million for No. 7 and $3.5 million for No. 14) Looney, Eric Paschall and non-guaranteed deals of Damion Lee, Mychal Mulder and Alen Smailagic, the Warriors can get up to $21 million in outgoing salary before including James Wiseman or Andrew Wiggins. Finding the right deal, however, is difficult. The Warriors are high on this draft and won’t easily part with one or both picks.
They’ll continue to make calls, canvas the league for opportunities and perhaps get in on bidding wars for Damian Lillard and Ben Simmons should they materialize. But chances are, later this month, the Warriors will be in position to add two youngsters to a core they believe can contend for a title next season.
“They develop their guys really well. It’s a head start when you’re in this system. You’re learning how to play basketball at the highest level.” — Moses Moody