The Golden State Warriors will be selecting No. 2 overall in next month’s 2020 NBA Draft. There’s been a lot of news come out of the Bay Area since the Warriors finished the truncated 2019-20 season with a 15-50 record. That has included speculation that the Warriors could look to trade down from the second spot.
If the Warriors do keep that second selection, they will have the pick of the litter behind the Minnesota Timberwolves, selecting No. 2 overall.
We have some information on who the Warriors are targeting. And it’s rather interesting.
“Now with Golden State in win-now mode, and needing another four-five type, I think Obi Toppin is an interesting name here. He could probably fit in offensively right away a lot better than some of these other guys,” The Athletic’s John Hollinger noted recently.
The reigning College Basketball Player of the Year, Toppin averaged 20.0 points and 7.5 rebounds on 39% shooting from three-point range for Dayton a season ago. He’s seen as a potential stretch four at the next level given that strong outside shooting ability.
This news came within the same conversation that concluded the Warriors will likely select LaMelo Ball at No. 2 if he’s not picked by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the first-overall selection.
In addition to Toppin and Ball, the Warriors could very well look to add former Georgia star shooting guard Anthony Edwards with the second pick. Former Memphis big man James Wiseman becomes a clear option in the draft, too. In fact, news around the Warriors have linked him to the team.
In Toppin, the Warriors would be getting someone to back up Draymond Green at the four initially and eventually replace the three-time NBA champion. Ball could back up both Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson in the backcourt. Meanwhile, Wiseman would be a candidate to potentially start out of the gate.
However, there’s certainly other aspects to look at here.
Warriors general manager Bob Myers fully believes that this team can contend after an injury-plagued 2019-20 NBA season. That has many believing that the Warriors will go all-in this winter.
If so, trading the second pick for a veteran option could make sense. That’s magnified by the fact that the Warriors have a $17.2 million trade exception stemming from the Andre Iguodala deal in the summer of 2019.
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