The following draft prospects are among those who external media members are predicting to be selected by the Warriors in the 2021 NBA Draft, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Golden State Warriors or its basketball operations staff.
2021 NBA DraftThursday, July 295:00 p.m.
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We are less than 24-hours removed from the 2021 Draft, presented by Oracle. After weeks of mock draft and prospect research, who would you take with the Warriors’ picks at No. 7 and 14?
The mock draft “experts” have had their opinions sway on that very question as of late. We have watched what were clear favorites at seventh overall become a close, three-player race, while a clear favorite at the fourteenth overall pick emerged in our last Mock Draft Roundup.
But now we head into the day during which all questions will be answered when the NBA Draft tips off on Thursday.
As one final chance to prepare you for the summer event, Dub Nation, here’s our updated and final look at what “experts” are saying for the Dubs’ draft selections:
Making a big move heading into Draft Night is the G League Ignite prospect Jonathan Kuminga. In each of our previous Roundups, Davon Mitchell and James Bouknight have been the top names at the No. 7 slot, with Moses Moody making a run for a third contender. But Kuminga has become the overwhelming favorite among the mock draft “experts” as the Warriors’ selection at No. 7 on Thursday.
The 18-year-old forward had himself a solid season after opting to bypass his college career and play in the G League, averaging 15.8 points and 7.2 rebounds.
“Kuminga’s athleticism and scoring upside give him as good of a chance as anyone,” says Connor Letourneau of the San Francisco Chronicle. “If he’s available at No. 7, the Warriors would have a hard time overlooking him."
And like the No. 7 spot, the No. 14 pick has come away with one clear name tied to it for the Warriors:
Though Mitchell has fallen away from being the Dubs’ pick at No. 7, there remains a few in the media who see the Warriors wanting the guard at No. 14.
CBS Sports’ Kyle Boone is among those who sees the Baylor product as being a strong fit for the Warriors, writing “Mitchell is a defensive menace who won Naismith Defensive Player of the Year last season, adds top-notch playmaking ability and is coming off a career year in which he made 44.7% of his 3s.”
But the evident choice among mock draft “experts” is Oregon’s Chris Duarte, who was vaulted into the discussion in our last Roundup and continues to get more votes in his favor.
“He demonstrated last season at Oregon the ability to make an impact on both ends of the floor, something teams covet at the next level,” wrote Cody Taylor of USA Today’s Rookie Wire. “He led the Pac-12 in steals and proved on a nightly basis he can perform at an elite level on defense.”
Interestingly enough, it seems the majority of members in our panel feel the Warriors will look for an instant contributor who can shoot the 3-ball and be a pest on defense with their second lottery pick.
There you have it, Dub Nation. We have tracked the mock draft “experts” through the pre-draft process, but it all comes down to Thursday when President of Basketball Operations and General Manger Bob Myers officially decides the path forward for the team in the 2021-22 season.