NBA Rumors: Warriors ‘Open To Trading’ No. 1 Pick If They Win Lottery In 2020 NBA Draft
After five consecutive trips to the NBA finals and winning three championship titles, the Golden State Warriors are set to suffer a huge disappointment in the 2019-20 NBA season. Though the season is still far from over, the Warriors no longer have any chance of competing for the Larry O’Brien Trophy after becoming the first team to be eliminated in the playoff race. However, while most teams will already consider undergoing a full-scale rebuild, the Warriors are different and reportedly planning to immediately return to title contention as early as next year.
Aside from making sure that their championship core of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green will be 100 percent healthy before the start of the 2020-21 NBA season, there are rumors that the Warriors are also planning to search for their fourth superstar this summer. If the right deal comes along, Connor Letourneau of the San Francisco Chronicle revealed that the Warriors are “open to trading” the No. 1 pick if they win the lottery in the 2020 NBA draft.
“If the Warriors land the No. 1 pick in the draft, they’ll be open to trading it,” Letourneau wrote, as quoted by NBC Sports. “But if Golden State doesn’t receive a worthy offer, it would likely take (Anthony) Edwards with the top selection, according to a league source.”
Despite already having three All-Star caliber players on their roster, it’s not a surprise that the Warriors are still looking for additional star power. A healthy trio of Curry, Thompson, and Green may be enough to bring the Warriors back to the playoff race in the 2020-21 season. Yet, with the presence of new powerhouse teams like the LeBron James-led Los Angeles Lakers and the Kawhi Leonard-led Los Angeles Clippers in the Western Conference, they may need more help in order to have a better chance of winning the championship title.
Over the past months, the Warriors have been linked to several superstars who are expected to be available on the trade market in the 2020 offseason, including reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks. Antetokounmpo might not be showing any indication that he wants out of Milwaukee, but there is speculation that he could demand a trade from the Bucks if they fall short of achieving their main goal this season.
If Antetokounmpo refuses to sign a massive contract extension and expresses his desire to leave, the Bucks would be left with no choice but to start listening to offers for him in the 2020 NBA offseason. Once Antetokounmpo becomes officially available on the trading block, the Warriors likely would not think twice before offering the Bucks a trade package centered on their own first-round pick in the 2020 NBA draft.
