The Golden State Warriors will currently enter this month's draft without a first-round pick for the second-straight year, but that's not to mean things couldn't change as things unfold at Barclays Center on June 25.
Having relinquished their first-round pick (20th overall) to the Miami Heat in the Jimmy Butler trade, the Warriors are not scheduled to enter the draft until the second night with the 41st pick in the second-round.
Yet with plenty of uncertainty facing numerous prospects and picks late in the first-round, this may be Golden State's best opportunity to execute a deal to move up in the order and add a notable talent for next season's roster.
The Warriors may be able to pull off a draft night trade
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According to NBA insider [Jake Fischer during Sunday's report](https://marcstein.substack.com/p/all-the-latest-draft-discussion-trade) on The Stein Line, there's a likelihood that plenty of picks in the 20's will be available in the lead up to, and during the draft proceedings later in the month.
_"There’s been lots of chatter league-wide, actually, about the majority of picks from Nos. 20-30 being available for trade in this draft,"_ Fischer wrote on Sunday. _"At this juncture of the process, it all appears very fluid at the end of the first round for this draft class, with numerous prospects ranging from Nos. 20-60 having returned to college to seize upon NIL riches."_
Some may be asking, why would a team looking to build around a trio of 35-year-old and above players be looking to trade into a first-round pick? That's a fair question, yet there's also arguments as to why they should.
Firstly, if the Warriors lose Jonathan Kuminga and/or Moses Moody this offseason, then suddenly the lack of young talent becomes a real concern. Perhaps the biggest factor though would be having another young prospect under team control on a smaller contract for multiple seasons, something that's become all the more important in recent times given the introduction of the luxury tax aprons.
Then you have Mike Dunleavy Jr.'s eye for identifying young talent since taking the role as General Manager, having made shrewd picks with all three of Brandin Podziemski, Trayce Jackson-Davis and Quinten Post.
Steve Kerr has also shown a willingness to utilize these players if they fit within a specific Warrior mould, with no one epitomizing that more than Podziemski who's led the team in plus-minus over his first two years in the league.
So while the Warriors are likely to favor veteran experience in free agency or on the trade market this offseason, don't be totally surprised if they trade up into a late first-round pick if there's a player on the board who fits what they're after.