The Golden State Warriors have four of the best 20 players in the NBA and, as a result, are something of a juggernaut. In addition, the franchise is set to move into a new arena that will allow them to continue printing money for the foreseeable future and, while there are legitimate questions to ask about the price tag (and age) of their core moving forward, the next few years could be dedicated toward simply maintaining excellence.
With that in mind, the 2018 NBA Draft isn’t exactly the central point of conversation surrounding the Warriors but Bob Myers and company do have a first round pick to work with and it could be quite useful. Despite all of Golden State’s roster strengths, current (and playable) depth is not one of them, leading to the possibility that a rookie could actually contribute in a meaningful way next season. Part of that stems from a weird roster balance that includes (far) too many centers but, with Jordan Bell seemingly poised to take the next step, big men aren’t a definite need and the Warriors can potentially focus on adding yet another quality perimeter player to their already terrifying rotation.
Unlike lottery-bound teams that could be seeking upside at the potential risk of flame-out, the Warriors can afford to trend more in the direction of safety (a la Bell and Patrick McCaw in recent years) and, fortunately for Golden State, there are a ton of quality prospects to evaluate in 2018. Here are a few that could make sense if available.
- Bruce Brown – SG/PG, Miami – Brown was seen as a fringe lottery pick after his freshman season but, after an injury-plagued sophomore campaign, he might be available late in the first round. He is a tremendous defensive prospect at 6’5 with a 6’9 wingspan and the ability to defend point guards, with ball-handling and creation ability to boot. Brown would slot in perfectly in Oakland and, even without tremendous upside, he is the type of piece that makes all kinds of sense.
- Jevon Carter, PG/SG, West Virginia – As noted above, upside isn’t quite as important for Golden State as it would be for other franchises and that brings a Carter pick into view. He’s the most tenacious on-ball defender in this class and would fit on an NBA floor immediately. That might entice the Warriors or another playoff-ready team in need of another functional perimeter piece.
- Donte DiVencenzo – SG/PG, Villanova – After his explosion in the NCAA Tournament and a strong performance at the NBA Draft Combine, DiVencenzo might be gone by No. 28. However, his shot creation, creativity and athleticism would be a strong fit with the Warriors. While he isn’t technically on this list, Duke guard Grayson Allen could fit a similar role and would be a reasonable selection.
- Jacob Evans – SG/SF, Cincinnati – Evans might be more of a 2 than a 3 at this point, after measuring at 6’5 at the combine. Still, he has the wingspan (6’9) and basketball IQ to be a switchable defensive piece and the Warriors love that profile. Obviously, the future of Patrick McCaw could be quite instructive as to whether the Warriors will look for wings specifically but, in today’s NBA, teams can’t have too many capable players of wing size and Evans just knows how to play basketball on both ends.
- Melvin Frazier – SF, Tulane – This has been a popular mock pick and there is a reason for that. Frazier is a physical freak at 6’6 with a wingspan nearing 7’2 and he made a ton of shots during his final season at Tulane. The jury is out as to how real that shooting breakout actually is but he might even be able to play some small forward and, despite his older age, Frazier has upside that could really pop with the Warriors.
- Shake Milton – SG/PG/SF, SMU – Milton wasn’t great at the combine but he showed a ton on tape at SMU over three seasons. Beyond that, he’s almost 6’6 with a wingspan nearing 7’1 and, with his combination of shooting, ball-handling and defensive versatility, the Warriors would be a perfect destination.
