2020 NBA Draft

Golden State Warriors

The Golden State Warriors have signed rookie center James Wiseman to a contract and rookie guard Nico Mannion to a two-way contract, the team announced today. Per team policy, terms of the agreements were not released.

The Warriors selected Wiseman with the 2nd overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft and Mannion with the 48th overall pick.
Wiseman, 19, averaged 19.7 points on 76.9 percent from the field (20-of-26 FG), 10.7 rebounds, 3.0 blocks and 23.0 minutes in three games (all starts) during his lone season at the University of Memphis. The 7’1” center was on the 2019-20 preseason watch lists for the Wooden Award, Naismith Trophy, Lute Olson Award, NABC Player of the Year and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award. Additionally, he was one of five players on the 2019-20 Associated Press Preseason All-America Team. As a senior at Memphis East High School, Wiseman was named the 2018-19 Gatorade National Player of the Year and Morgan Wootten Player of the Year and was ranked as the nation’s top recruit in 2019 by ESPN. Wiseman won a gold medal with USA Basketball at the 2017 FIBA U16 Americas Championship.

Mannion, 19, averaged 14.0 points, 5.3 assists, 2.5 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 32.3 minutes over 32 games in his lone season at the University of Arizona. The 6’3” guard was named to the 2019-20 All-Pac-12 Second Team in addition to the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team, ranking second in the conference in assists per game. A native of Siena, Italy, Mannion was a McDonald’s and Naismith All-American as a senior at Pinnacle High School in Phoenix. His father, Pace, was selected by the Warriors with the 43rd overall selection in the 1983 NBA Draft and played six seasons in the NBA.

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Warriors Sign James Wiseman and Nico Mannion

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The 2020-21 NBA season is just a few short weeks away, and a major milestone toward that was reached on Wednesday with the 2020 NBA Draft, during which the Warriors added three players to their roster. Welcome to the squad James Wiseman (2nd overall pick), Nico Mannion (48th) and Justinian Jessup (51st)!

Welcome the Newest Warriors to Dub Nation!Send a Message

Want to get to know the newest additions to Dub Nation? Take a look below for insights into who these three Warriors are and what they could potentially bring to the hardwood.

With the second overall pick of the 2020 NBA Draft, the Warriors selected 19-year-old center James Wiseman from the University of Memphis.

James Wiseman1st Round, 2nd Overall
School: University of Memphis
Position: Center
Home: Nashville, TN
Height: 7' 1"
Weight: 240 lb
Born: March 31, 2001

2018-2019 Stats
PTS: 19.7
REB: 10.7
AST: 0.3
STL: 0.3
BLK: 3.0

The young seven-foot-one-inch player ran into NCAA qualification issues after just three collegiate games, but the conflict did not add a blemish to his already-established reputation he had garnered through high school.

Wiseman moved from his hometown of Nashville to Memphis prior to his junior year of high school where he would play under coach Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway at East High School and in AAU competition. Under Hardaway’s tutelage Wiseman became a McDonald’s All-American, Tennessee Mr. Basketball, Gatorade National Player of the Year, and Morgan Wootten National Player of the Year, all of which were awarded to him his senior year in 2019. Wiseman would then follow Hardaway to the University of Memphis after the former NBA star accepted the position of head coach.

Wiseman averaged a double-double with 19.7 points and 10.7 rebounds, while also logging 3.0 blocks per game across his  collegiate career. Though he appeared in just three games, "it was clear that he’s different than just about everyone else,” wrote Jeff Goodman with Stadium.

And if “Penny Hardaway” name rings a bell to Dub Nation, it is because Hardaway himself tipped off a 14-season NBA career as the third overall pick of the 1993 NBA Draft by the Warriors, although he was traded to Orlando moments after and teamed up with Shaquille O’Neal. Wiseman has crossed paths with Stephen Curry at one of his camps, too.

If that is not enough Warriors-centric ties, Wiseman had one more tip-of-the-cap to the team and Dubs legendary Tim Hardaway. When asked during an NBA TV segment who had the best move in the NBA, the 19-year-old praised the former Dub and his “killer crossover.”

You may not expect to see a seven-foot-tall player cross-up his defenders, but when asked if he practices Hardaway’s signature move, Wiseman exclaimed: “Oh I work on it, most definitely.”

According to his NBA.com Draft Profile, Wiseman enters the NBA as “one of the most physically gifted center prospects in recent history.”

“Possessing an impressive combination of size and mobility, Wiseman runs the floor exceptionally well,” it continues. “With a 9-foot-6 standing reach, his dimensions are a factor… He elevates well for blocks with room to gather and his sheer reach is frequently a factor on the defensive glass.”

On offense, “Wiseman did the majority of his scoring inside providing a big target off the ball, creating some touches for himself crashing the glass, and drawing free throws at a remarkable rate.”

Though he has the potential on both sides of the ball and comes to the Warriors with an impressive resume, Wiseman now faces the challenge of putting it all together at the NBA level. “No 19-year-old I think figures it out right away,” said President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Bob Myers Wednesday night after the draft, “but I think he's got a willingness and an effort he's going to learn.”

“He’s kind of the Warrior-type of character we look for,” said the General Manager.

And the connections between the Warriors and their draft picks continued through the 48th overall pick when they selected Arizona guard Niccolò “Nico” Mannion. Just like Wiseman who was selected in the first round, the Dubs’ 48th overall pick came from a certain Warrior’s camp.

Niccolò “Nico” Mannion2nd Round, 48th Overall
School: University of Arizona
Position: Point Guard
Home: Siena, Italy
Height: 6' 3"
Weight: 190 lb
Born: March 14, 2001

2018-2019 Stats
PTS: 14.0
REB: 2.5
AST: 5.3
STL: 1.2
BLK: 0.0

Mannion comes to the Warriors with a unique blend of both NCAA and international experience. Having been born in Siena, Italy, he has qualified and played for the Italian national teams; at the 2017 FIBA U16 European Championship, Mannion averaged 19.9 points and 4 assists per game while representing his native country. He was considered a five-star recruit and a top-15 prospect through his senior year of high school, earning invites to both the McDonald’s All-American game and Nike Hoop Summit.

Mannion played just one year at Arizona, but let his presence be known in that time. He averaged 14.0 points including shooting 32.7 percent from three-point distance, 2.5 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.2 steals per game. Mannion’s effort earned him All-Pac-12 Second Team as well as Pac-12 All Freshman team honors.

Mannion is already acquainted with the hardwood at Chase Center too. He played with the Arizona Wildcats in the Al Attles Classic, a college basketball showcase put on by The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, at Chase Center in December, 2019. Manion posted 19 points, one rebound, three assists and three steals in the innaugural event.

Though Nico has already played at the Dub’s home in Chase Center, he is not the first of the Mannion family to play with the Warriors. His father, Pace, was selected by Golden State 43rd overall in the 1983 draft! Pace enjoyed a six-season career in the NBA and followed with a decade hooping in Italy.

“When I heard that I got the call and had found out I was getting drafted by Golden State, it was just a rush of emotions because my father was also drafted by Golden State,” said Nico on draft night. “Yeah, it’s unexplainable. It’s a blessing come true.”

Also seeing Mannion coming to the Warriors as serendipitous was Bob Myers. When asked if he was surprised Mannion fell to the team at No. 48 in his post-draft press conference, the Dubs’ General Manager said: “A little bit… we had him higher than 48 for sure.”

According to his NBA.com Draft Profile, Mannion “is a talented all-around guard whose vision, promising shot-making ability, and strong feel for the game allowed him to make an instant impact” when he stepped on the court.

"An instinctual playmaker who operated extensively out of the pick and roll as a freshman,” the profile continues, “Mannion makes shots from all three levels, has excellent footwork, delivers some creative passes on the move, and limits his mistakes off the dribble.”

Mannion did struggle putting up points in some games, “scoring more easily some nights than others,“ as his profile says. But the new Warrior is not worried, saying: “I get to learn from Steph.”

“I get someone I can really learn from,” he continued, “I’m just going to be like a sponge, try to soak up as much information from him as I can.”

Justinian Jessup1st Round, 51st Overall
School: Boise State
Position: Shooting Guard
Home: Longmont, CO
Height: 6' 7"
Weight: 200 lb
Born: May 23, 1998

2018-2019 Stats
PTS: 16.0
REB: 4.4
AST: 2.1
STL: 1.4
BLK: 0.5

Guard Justinian Jessup, the 51st selection of the draft, will be in a slightly different position from his classmates of this draft. In fact, he will be in a different country all together.

Jessup will play professionally in Australia next season having signed a "Next Stars" contract, which maintained his eligibility for the 2020 draft, with the Illawarra Hawks of the Australian National Basketball League (NBL). The Warriors retain his rights when he chooses to play in the NBA.

Jessup is coming off of his best season with Boise State where he played all four years of his NCAA eligibility. He averaged 16.0 points, 39.7 percent from three-point distance, 4.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.4 steals, and 0.5 blocks through the 2019-20 season, placing him in top-three of each statistical category on the team. He was named to the 2020 All-Mountain West Second Team and ended his career as the Mountain West and Boise State career leader in three-pointers made with 325 made, surpassing the conference record previously set by NBA veteran Jimmer Fredette (BYU, 296).

The shooting guard found success at the high school level, too. According to his NBA.com Draft Profile, as a junior “he led the basketball team in every key statistic when he averaged 17.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 3.2 steals per contest,” taking his team to the Colorado high school title game.

For his efforts “he was named the 2015 Colorado 4A Player of the Year, Northern League Athlete of the Year, and was selected to the all-state first team,” per Jessup’s profile. He then went on top be the eighth-ranked high school prospect in Colorado following his senior year.

Making it to pro basketball is exciting enough, but for Jessup draft night was even more of an emotional roller coaster as he could not even watch the event.

“I don’t even know what to say, I’m still kind of trembling from excitement,” Jessup said in an interview with the Idaho Press. “I was trying to watch the draft earlier when it first started but I couldn’t get the live stream to work so I was just sitting on my couch looking at my phone and my agent texted me and said you got drafted.”

“I was like are you serious?” Jessup continued. “And when he said the Warriors, my heart just stopped for like 20 seconds. I couldn’t believe it to be honest with you.”

There you have it Dub Nation, these are your newest members of the squad. Get to know them quick, because the NBA season is right around the corner with tipoff set for Dec. 22.

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Get to Know the Dubs’ 2020 NBA Draft Picks

Draft night has come and gone, and the Warriors came out of the event with the three picks they went into it with, only now the team can put faces and names to those draft positions. The team selected 7-foot-1 center James Wiseman with the second overall pick, the highest Warriors draft pick since Joe Smith in 1995, and also added a pair of guards in the second round: Arizona’s Nico Mannion (No. 48) and Justinian Jessup (No. 51) out of Boise State.

Following the draft, Warriors General Manager Bob Myers spoke to the media over a video conference call about the team’s picks, and also the news of Klay Thompson’s leg injury.

On how when Wiseman was on their draft board and if the Klay Thompson injury prompted any changes:
“We had him No. 1 on our board when all the dust settled. Certainly the Klay thing made you think for a second, but it was just a short amount of time and we decided we're staying the course of what we always felt but you have to take pause and think about things for a second… We got the guy we wanted and excited like I said to get going and get him in our practice facility and get to work.”

On what attracted Myers and the front office to Wiseman:
“Well, we think he's got great immediate help for a position we've coveted for a long time… We love his character, we love his attitude. We loved sitting with him, meeting him and feel like he's kind of the Warrior type of character we always look for with a tremendous amount of room for growth.”

Was Myers surprised Nico Mannion fell to the Warriors at No. 48?
“A little bit. Steph said we had to Draft guys that went to his Under Armour camp, so we had to take Wiseman and Nico to keep our point guard happy. It is funny, though. Those guys both did go. He remembers them. I think it might have been in Walnut Creek. But I think he knows, it's funny, he got to know James and got to know Nico, I don't know if it was last year or the year before, but I was surprised. We had him higher than 48 for sure.”

On Wiseman’s defensive capabilities and what he will need to learn:
“He's big but NBA has got a lot of big guys in it. But I think he's physically can do it but there's going to be a mental growth. He's going to have to learn the NBA game. It's a style, he's never played against these caliber players. We hope he can do all that but no 19-year-old I think figures it out right away. But I think he's got a willingness and an effort he's going to learn. Can't learn from a better defender than Draymond Green who probably won't be shy correcting him if he needs to.”

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What They Are Saying: Bob Myers on 2020 NBA Draft

It is official: with the second pick of the 2020 NBA Draft, the Warriors selected 19-year-old center James Wiseman of the University of Memphis.

The Dubs’ brain trust — including President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Bob Myers, Head Coach Steve Kerr and Co-Executive Chairman Joe Lacob — celebrated from the team’s war room inside of Chase Center as commissioner Adam Silver made it official with the announcement Wednesday night.

“I’m truly ready just to go to Golden State, to go and learn as much as possible and just be the best version of me and just work every day,” said Wiseman in his first interview as a Dub.

Due to an NCAA conflict, Wiseman played just three games with Memphis during the 2019-20 season. Despite having not played organized basketball for over one year, Wiseman is prepared to bring all of his talents to the Warriors:  “Just versatility. Be able to rebound, run the floor to block shots, and just space the floor out for my size.”

“I’ve been playing like a lot of pickup games this summer,” continued Wiseman, “like I’ve just been really improving my game every day, so I’m ready and I’m prepared.”

Wiseman and the Warriors are not the only ones excited about the selection.

Golden State Hall of Famer Chris Mullin was straight to the point: “James Wiseman will fit perfectly with the Warriors.”

“Just an incredible, talented young man,” Mullins continued, “I think he’s going to be guy you plug-in and play right away.”

Wisemen’s new teammates gave him a warm welcome to the squad, with Eric Paschall showing his support for the rook on this special night.

Veteran Warrior Draymond Green saw was it meant to be, sharing a photo of a young Wiseman wearing a We Believe-era Warriors jersey.

As for the Dubs’ first round draft pick from last year, Jordan Poole said in his post-selection reaction that he “can’t wait to have (Wiseman) over here.”

And how about Head Coach Steve Kerr who will soon be coaching the young talent? Well, he sounded impressed by Wiseman.

With the question of what the Warriors would do with the second overall pick now resolved, the Dubs have just over over one month to prepare for the NBA season, which will officially tip-off Dec. 22.

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Dubs React to Selecting James Wiseman Second Overall

Bob Myers Discusses 2020 NBA Draft and Klay Thompson Injury

At the conclusion of the 2020 NBA Draft during which the Warriors selected James Wiseman (2nd overall pick), Nico Mannion (48th) and Justinian Jessup (51st), President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Bob Myers met with media over a Ring Central video chat to discuss how the evening unfolded. Though the Warriors received news of a leg injury suffered by Klay Thompson, Myers and his team needed to proceed through with the draft.

“Certainly the Klay thing made you think for a second,” said Myers on receiving the news just hours before the Dubs went on the clock, “but it was just a short amount of time and we decided we're staying the course.”

However, Myers felt optimistic about the future, saying of Wiseman “we got the guy we wanted and excited like I said to get going and get him in our practice facility and get to work,” as the NBA season is set to begin on Dec. 22.

Warriors Select Boise State Guard Justinian Jessup with 51st Pick

With the 51st pick of tonight’s draft, the Warriors selected shooting guard Justinian Jessup. The Boise State guard averaged 14.0 points on 44.5 percent shooting and etched his name in the Broncos' record books with 325 three-pointers over his four-year collegiate career. Earlier this year, Jessup joined the NBL's Next Stars program.

Warriors Select Arizona Guard Nico Mannion with 48th Pick

The Warriors drafted the son of a former pro with the 48th pick of tonight’s draft, going with Arizona freshman Nico Mannion. The 6-foot-3 Italian guard averaged 14.0 points per game for the Wildcats this past season, earning All-PAC-12 Second Team and All Freshmen Team honors. A playmaking freshman with a nice shooting touch, Mannion holds dual citizenship in the United States and Italy, and his father, Pace Mannion played six seasons in the NBA and 13 in the Italian League.

Wiseman Ready to “Grow, adapt, stay humble and work my tail off”

Shortly after being selected by the Warriors with the second pick of the 2020 NBA Draft, James Wiseman sat down to answer questions via video conference call, as has become the standard this year.

When one media member asked about comparisons to former NBA greats David Robinson, Chris Webber and Chris Bosh, the 19-year-old center responded with the wisdom of an NBA vet.

“I mean, it's high praise, but I just want to create my own thing, be my own player,” Wiseman said. “I'm James Wiseman, I'm myself, I'm authentic. So I'm just going to go in there again, grow and adapt and stay humble and work my tail off every day.”

Want to hear more from the second overall pick in the draft?

Warriors Take James Wiseman with 2nd Pick of 2020 NBA Draft

The Warriors drafted Memphis center James Wiseman with the second pick of the 2020 NBA Draft. The 7-foot-1 center  averaged 19.7 points, 10.7 rebounds and 3.0 blocks in three games at Memphis during the 2019-20 season, and prior to that he was widely regarded as the nation’s top high school player in 2019.

Here is what some media members were saying on Wiseman in the leadup to the draft.

"Working in his favor long-term is his massive, well-built frame that creates some floor in terms of defensive impact, combined with solid if not truly elite mobility for a 7-footer. If all goes well, Wiseman should be a reliable double-double guy, provide vertical spacing rim-to-rim and offer some backbone around the basket." – Jeremy Woo, Sports Illustrated

"Wiseman is simply too physically gifted to ignore in a draft lacking top-end talent. And if things break correctly, he could prove to be a franchise center and overwhelming presence for at least the next decade." – Gary Parrish, CBS Sports

"It was clear that he’s different than just about everyone else. He’s a legit 7-foot-1, runs the floor extremely well and can be an impact guy on the defensive end due to his ability to rebound and block/alter shots." – Jeff Goodman, Stadium

"There’s a need for depth/talent in the middle that can be addressed by picking Wiseman. He isn’t a true face-up big at this point in his career, but given the shooters that the Warriors have that won’t be a big deal at all." – Raphielle Johnson, Rotoworld

Candace Parker Makes Surprise Appearance in Dubs Draft Room, presented by Chase

Five-time WNBA All-Star, two-time MVP and WNBA Champion Candace Parker stopped by the Dubs Draft Room, presented by Chase to visit with Tim Roye, Kelenna Azubuike and Dub Nation. Of course, with this being NBA Draft night, the Dubs broadcasters had to ask about her draft experience when she was selected first overall in the 2008 WNBA Draft.

Warriors Greats Featured in Dubs Draft Room, presented by Chase

The NBA Draft will begin soon, but the Dubs Draft Room is already bustling with activity. Access the second-screen experience now for exclusive draft programming, interviews with Warriors alumni, a Dub Nation chat room, Warriors trivia and poll questions and more!

In the first hour of the show, we saw interviews with Jason Richardson, Chris Mullin and Head Coach Steve Kerr. Watch those interviews below and tune in to the live experience now at warriors.com/draft.

Join Us in the Dubs Draft Room at 3:30 p.m.

While we would prefer to host an event at Chase Center where all of Dub Nation can get together and cheer on the Warriors’ three selections, it’s 2020 and a global pandemic continues. So the next best thing is a virtual draft party, and you are invited to join us!

Beginning at 3:30 p.m., Warriors radio broadcaster Tim Roye will be joined by television analyst (and former Warrior guard) Kelenna Azubuike to host the Dubs Draft Room. Visit warriors.com/draft, or RSVP here, and you can join the likes of Hall of Famers Chris Mullin and Mitch Richmond, Warriors great Jason Richardson and other members of Dub Nation.

That lineup should be plenty to get you excited, but if not, trust us, we have more surprise appearances in the works. And if nothing else, come to see if Tim Roye will be professional on the top, and causal on the bottom as he was during the Dubs Draft Room promo below.

Today’s the day. It has been more than eight months since the Warriors knew they would have a top-five pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, and almost three months since we learned it would be the No. 2 selection.

Since then, we’ve scoured the reputable mock drafts to see who the “experts” think the Warriors will take at No. 2. Several names have been thrown out there, but majority opinion of the media members we polled strongly favors a certain 19-year-old prospect. Will that prove to be correct? Time will tell, as we’re mere hours from the first selection of the NBA Draft.

Until then, prepare for yourself for all you need to know about the NBA Draft with these helpful links.

This evening can prove to be a milestone moment for future Warriors success. With three picks tonight – the Dubs own the second, 48th and 51st selections – there are three chances to strike potential gold. Check out the video below for some past notable draft selections.

Stay tuned throughout the day for more updates right here in this space.

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Draft Day Running Blog

The following draft prospects are among those who external media members are predicting to be selected by the Warriors in the 2020 NBA Draft, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Golden State Warriors or its basketball operations staff.

The 2020 NBA Draft is almost upon us! We can now count the hours remaining before the Warriors and the other 29 teams of the league go on the clock to choose who will join their respective teams.

According to the members of the media who have been producing mock drafts, the Warriors have been tied to a number of top prospects. So who do they see the Dubs selecting with the second overall pick? The tally for our final mock draft roundup prior to this year’s NBA Draft is as follows:

James Wiseman (center, Memphis) - 17Anthony Edwards (guard, Georgia) - 2Onyeka Okongwu (forward, USC) - 2Deni Avdija (forward, Israel) - 1Obi Toppin (forward, Dayton) - 1

After consistently logging 11 votes by media members we have been tracking as the Warriors’ choice, 19-year-old center James Wiseman heads into the NBA Draft with 17 of 23 listing him as the Dubs’ choice with the No. 2 pick.

Colin Ward-Henninger of CBS Sports is among those who believe this will be the route taken by the Warriors on Wednesday, recently writing: “He fills an immediate need as a rim protector/lob catcher and creates a bridge to the future with his tremendous upside -- exactly what Golden State is looking for.”

Though many other media members are of the same mind as Ward-Henninger that the rim-running seven-foot tall center fills a need of the Dubs,  Jason McIntyre of Fox Sports argues that he would not fit the squad’s style of play.

“Maybe the Warriors see Anthony Davis and Nikola Jokic in the West and wonder if it makes sense to grab athletic 7-foot-1 James Wiseman here,” he wrote, “but then you’re playing their game, not yours.”

“And if they don’t trade this pick, the idea of the 6-foot-9 Okongwu as an understudy to the 2017 DPOY Draymond Green makes sense in the short and long term,” concluded McIntyre.

And as McIntyre mentioned as well, there remains the option of trading the second overall pick.

Jeremy Woo of Sports Illustrated reported: “Teams interested in Wiseman have operated under the assumption that that they have to trade up in front of Charlotte (Hornets),” the team with the third overall pick.

“And it’s known that the Warriors are interested in moving back in the lottery, seeking to draft a young player while also upgrading their frontcourt with a veteran who can help them win now,” Woo continued.

Despite majority opinions leaning towards the Warriors either using their second overall pick or trading it to move down in the lottery and receive additional assets in return, nothing will be concrete until the Warriors go on the clock on Wednesday, or potentially after that.

“Somebody gave me good advice,” recounted Bob Myers during his pre-draft media availability on Nov. 11, “I think somebody that worked with President Obama told me one of his things, never make a decision until you have to.”

“So we'll make it on Wednesday night when they call our name.”

There you have it Dub Nation: be ready for anything come draft time. For the latest information on the Warriors in the 2020 NBA Draft, keep an eye on @warriors on social media and warriors.com.

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Mock Draft Roundup: Certain Uncertainty

It’s a big week for the Warriors who hold the second overall selection in the 2020 NBA Draft on Wednesday. Since the initial NBA Draft Lottery in 1985, the Warriors have had 22 lottery picks, and they’ll add more to that list on Wednesday evening.

Though success can never be guaranteed, here are some of the franchises’ finest lottery selections:

The Warriors selected Chris Mullin with the seventh overall pick in the 1985 NBA Draft, the first-ever year of the NBA Draft Lottery. Mullin became a five-time NBA All-Star and went on to spend 13 of his 16 seasons with the Dubs, proving to be a Warrior through and through when he returned back to the club for his final season as a player. The sharp-shooting lefty was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, once as part of the ‘Dream Team’ (2010) and again as an individual in 2011. In 2012, the Warriors retired Mullin's jersey number (17), becoming just the sixth player in team history to have a jersey retired.

The Dubs selected Mitch Richmond with the fifth overall pick in the 1988 Draft, with the rook taking the league by storm and capturing the NBA Rookie of the Year Award. In his three seasons with the club, Richmond averaged 22.7 points and 5.5 rebounds, becoming a key scorer for the Warriors and a member of the trio ‘Run TMC.’  In his 14 years in the league, Richmond became a six-time All-Star, NBA Champion (2002), and was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame (2014).

The Warriors made a draft-night trade to acquire Chris Webber, sending third overall selection Anfernee Hardaway and three future first rounders to Orlando for the Michigan standout big man. Webber averaged 17.5 points and 9.1 rebounds, earning the NBA Rookie of the Year award in his only season as a Warrior before returning to the Dubs late in his career in 2008. Over the course of his 17-year NBA career, the five-time NBA All-Star averaged 20.1 points, 9.5 rebounds and 4.1 assists.

Though drafted fourth overall by the Toronto Raptors in the 1998 NBA Draft, Antawn Jamison was traded to the Warriors in exchange for guard Vince Carter, who the Dubs selected one pick later. Jamison spent the first five years of his NBA career with the Dubs, gaining recognition for his consistency as a steady scorer. Over the course of his 16-year career in the league, Jamison became a two-time NBA All-Star and was named the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year in 2004.

Selected by the Warriors with the fifth overall pick in the 2001 Draft, Jason Richardson entered the league and made an immediate impact on the team. In his first season, Richardson was named NBA All-Rookie First Team (2002) and was recognized as the Rookie Challenge MVP. Richardson continued to take flight, earning two NBA Slam Dunk Champion titles (2002, 2003) and becoming just the second player after Michael Jordan to win the competition back-to-back. Richardson played the first six years of his 13 NBA seasons with the Warriors, leading the club in scoring three times before wrapping up his Warriors tenure as a key cog during the ‘We Believe’ playoff run in 2007.

The Dubs selected Stephen Curry with the seventh overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft. Now among the marquee faces in the league, the guard out of Davidson is a three-time NBA champion, six-time All-Star, and two-time MVP who in 2016 became the first player in NBA history to be elected MVP by unanimous vote. During that 2015-16 MVP season, Curry led the league in scoring while shooting above an impressive 50-40-90. To date, Curry holds NBA records for career free throw percentage and single-season 3-pointers (402 in 2015-16), and is third in career 3-pointers with 2,495 entering the 2020-21 season.

The Warriors selected Klay Thompson with the 11th overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft. Since entering the league, the five-time All-Star and three-time NBA Champion has made quite an impact, averaging 19.5 points across 615 games in eight seasons. Considered one of the greatest shooters in NBA history, Thompson joins Curry as one of the ‘Splash Brothers’ with the duo combining for a NBA record of the most three-pointers made.

Selected by the Warriors with the seventh overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, Harrison Barnes played four seasons with the Dubs averaging 10.1 points per game. During his time with the club, Barnes played a pivotal role in helping the Warriors clinch the franchise’s first NBA Championship in 40 years (2015). Following his time with the Dubs, Barnes has continued his nine-year NBA career with the Dallas Mavericks and Sacramento Kings.

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Best Lottery Picks in Warriors History

After months of trails, tribulations and extraordinary preparations due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020-21 NBA season will get underway with the 2020 NBA Draft on Wednesday.

2020 NBA DraftWednesday, Nov. 185:00 p.m.Watch: ESPN
    Second screen experience (Bay Area only): Dubs Draft Room

The Warriors head into this year’s draft with three picks: the second overall selection that they received in August’s Draft Lottery, and the 48th and 51st picks.

After five straight visits to the NBA Finals and winning three from 2015 through 2019, the squad went 15-50 last season while dealing with a number of injuries and two-way contract limitations. Heading into this year’s draft, the question has been which route President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Bob Myers will go: pick up an immediate contributor, or look for a top prospect the team can develop long term?

“The easy answer is both,” said Myers in a video call with media on Wednesday, “but ideally if there was a player that you could draft now that you knew would win you a championship or something you could forego maybe the future, but it's hard to even say -- it's not so clear.”

We have been following mock drafts written by members of the media, and even their opinions vary on the issue. Though 19-year-old center James Wiseman has been a favorite selection by the “experts,” some see trades shaking up the draft while others see some young forwards in the draft who may fit the Dubs’ style of play.

And all may not be fully resolved on Wednesday evening.

At 3 p.m. on the Friday after the draft, the NBA’s free agency period will open; between then and 9 a.m. on Sunday, teams and free agents are allowed to have contract negotiations. Contracts can then be signed on Sunday at 9:01 a.m. and thereafter. The Dubs will have the opportunity to seek additional reinforcements for their roster during this time as well.

Myers says he feels no pressure to make these critical decisions until the time comes: “Somebody gave me good advice. I don't know who it was. I think somebody that worked with President Obama told me one of his things is never make a decision until you have to. So we'll make it on Wednesday night when they call our name.”

Also to keep in mind as you debate what direction the Warriors could go in: the team has a $17.2 million trade exception. The Warriors received this tool after trading Andre Iguodala and a 2024 first round pick to the Memphis Grizzlies last summer for Julian Washburn, who the Warriors later waived. The simplest way to think about it: the Dubs can acquire players whose contracts are valued up to the difference between Iguodala and Washburn’s salaries, plus an additional amount more per the collective bargaining agreement, which in this case comes to roughly $17.2 million.

The trade exception will expire Nov. 23, so the window during which the Warriors can use this opportunity is coming to a close.

With many potentially seismic decisions looming for Myers and the Basketball Operations team, will they look to Warriors veterans for input?

“Klay (Thompson) doesn’t care,” Myers said in an interview Oct. 14. “He’ll show up by training camp and be like: ‘Is that the guy right there? That the guy we drafted there?’”

“Draymond (Green) cares,” he continued. “Draymond loves it, he’s a junky. And Steph (Curry) is different. He’s almost like ‘I trust you to do what you do if you think it’s right.’ If I call Steph and ask him, he’ll give an opinion… But Draymond is the uninvited commentary. He’ll do it no matter what you say or what you think.”

“So it’s a good blend,” Myers said of the trio of NBA Champions.

Besides the assets at the fingertips of Myers and his team right now, the Dubs also have a number of picks headed into the future. Below is a complete breakdown of those draft picks by year, including the protections* and which team they came from should Dub Nation want to start scouting.

2020: Golden State’s first round pick (2nd overall), Utah Jazz’s second round pick (48th overall), Dallas Mavericks’ second round pick (51st overall)Golden State’s second round pick traded to Dallas Mavericks in July 2016, along with Andrew Bogut for future draft considerations

2021: Golden State’s first round pick, Minnesota Timberwolves’ first round pick (top-3 protected), Minnesota’s second round pick, Denver Nuggets’ second round pickGolden State’s second round pick traded to New Orleans Pelicans during 2019 NBA Draft for Alen Smailagic

2022: Golden State’s first-round pick, Golden State’s second-round pick, Toronto Raptors’ second-round pick

2023: Golden State’s first-round pickGolden State’s second round pick traded to New Orleans Pelicans during 2019 NBA Draft for Alen Smailagic

2024: NoneGolden State’s first round pick (top-4 protected) traded to Memphis Grizzlies in July 2019 along with Andre Iguodala for Julian Washburn; a traded player exception available to Warriors as part of the trade. Golden State’s second round pick traded to Atlanta Hawks morning of 2019 NBA Draft for 41st overall pick (Eric Paschall)

2025: Golden State’s first-round pickGolden State’s second round pick traded to Brooklyn Nets in July 2019 along with Kevin Durant for D’Angelo Russell

2026: Golden State’s first-round pickGolden State’s second round pick traded to Atlanta Hawks in July 2019 along with Damian Jones for Omari Spellman

With a number of options and opportunities headed into the NBA Draft and free agency, things can go any number of ways this next week. Be sure to stay tuned to warriors.com and @warriors on social media for updates.

*Some picks are dealt with conditions as part of the trade. Using this past summer’s Kevin Durant-D’Angelo Russell trade as an example, the deal with the Brooklyn Nets included the Dubs’ 2020 first round pick which became top-20 protected. In other words, the deal included the stipulation that if the Warriors finished the 2019-20 season with a record that placed them in the first 20 teams in the in the 2020 NBA Draft, the Warriors would not need to include that pick in the trade and instead send a future second round pick (in 2025).