The Warriors enter the 2021 NBA Draft, presented by Oracle, as owners of the 7th and 14th picks, with the annual event set for Thursday, July 29 at 5 p.m. This marks the first time in franchise history that the team will have two Lottery picks since the NBA Draft Lottery began in 1985.
With that being said, Warriors President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Bob Myers and his staff are preparing to make decisions that will impact the team’s 2021-22 roster.
Hear Myers address media regarding the top draft prospects and his plans heading into these events, or take a look at some of the highlights down below:
What is your overview on how this pre-draft process has gone, and sitting at 7 and 14 how much you like that range?
“It's better than last year. There was a Combine, which was helpful. We've had a few guys through our facility, which is helpful. Different workout here, as opposed to going to see players in their own gyms. We actually have our coaches run it and just makes it more normal, which is good.
With having 7 and 14, we've been lucky enough to get a lot of players through our facility which I think isn't true for every team so we're fortunate to have that. I think our front office did a good job of getting some really high-level workouts, some competitive ones for this players that are in our range. So that is helpful. So in the way of comparing to last year, it's been better.”
Is the workout process pretty much done and what do the next three days look like for you and the rest of the front office?
“I think it's coming to a decision point. The workouts are done… So the next three days will be what the previous 30 have been which is: Do we want to draft? Do we want to draft two picks? What if you draft a young guy at 7, do you want to draft a young guy at 14? What do we want our team to be? All the things you write about we're trying to figure out, and there's no perfect answer to that. There's no perfect solution. So we try to do the best we can and with what's put in front of us, whether it's take the best trade, take the best picks.”
How would you describe the potential urgency level to try to find veterans via trade?
“We want to win; so do (Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green); so does Steve (Kerr)… It's never easy, (predicting the development of rookies) isn't easy -- it isn't always clear. You'd like clarity… But you'd like to find guys that can play a little bit, with what we are limited to do in free agency, which minimums, maybe tax-payer level. Maybe that's a chance to grab some vets, we've done that before, but that was a team everyone wanted to come to. Will veteran players want to come now with Klay coming back? We'll see. So we have to balance all that stuff.”
It has been reported that you're going to use both 7 and 14 and you're not going to trade them. Would you say that's the way it looks right now?
“As of -- what time is it, two o'clock today? Yeah. But here's the problem with that answer. At 2:45 that can change or 3:15… Today, right now, yeah, we're drafting 7 and 14. Don't get mad if we don't in three days because that means something changed."
Are there one or two players more live at that spot that teams are mentioning?
“Well, that's what we're trying to figure out, one for ourselves, and you guys do mock drafts, who is valued, who isn't, what other teams want. You never really know. Our job is to get our part right. I had three conversations this mornings and I said, is this trade on the clock or is this trade you do something now. So you almost preface it with that.
It depends how the draft goes, which then pushes the decision for both teams all the way to the draft, right. Even into the draft… But most of the time, you guys know this, it happens at the draft. Which means it is predicated on who's there."
Do you think there might be any opportunity to move up in the draft?
“I think it's going to be hard. I don't -- and I don't see that specific to the Warriors. I just think that's probably the league. I think it's going to be tough.”