Why the Warriors could trade down

Whether the Warriors stand pat with the No. 19 pick in Thursday’s NBA Draft or trade it remains an open question. Whichever path they take, expect their guiding light to be acquiring players they think can play next to Steph Curry and keep open their title contention window.

That window will be constricted under the new collective bargaining agreement, which takes effect July 1 and keeps the Warriors from signing players on the open market to anything more than a league-minimum deal. That accentuates the importance of the draft: For the Warriors, a good draft gives them back some team-building control.

Rumors swirled that the Warriors might put former lottery pick Jonathan Kuminga on the trade block in order to move up in the draft order. Such a trade would be a bold move for new general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. in his first few days at the helm.

If the Warriors don’t move up the board, perhaps they’ll see value in trading down. A move down would save them a little money on rookie contracts, and also could yield more assets for a team that will almost certainly have no pick — first or second round — in next year’s draft, thanks to the Andre Iguodala trade. Some NBA-ready role players who might not meet the value of the 19th pick are likely to be available later in the first round or early in the second round.

And teams with a handful of late first- and early second-round picks could be looking to consolidate; some teams don’t have the roster space to fit everyone. The Indiana Pacers, for example, have five picks in the first and second rounds: Nos. 7, 26, 29, 32 and 55. The Charlotte Hornets have Nos. 2, 27, 34, 39 and 41.

A pick late in the first round or early in the second could net the Warriors a potential NBA-ready player such as combo guard Brandin Podziemski, Iowa forward Kris Murray or Indiana big Trayce Jackson-Davis.

Murray, at 23 and without the same scoring ability as his twin brother Keegan (Kings) may not be worthy of the 19th pick, but has the makings of a strong late-round pick. He’s a strong rebounder and scoring threat off the ball who has shown the ability to cut and make plays. At 6-foot-8 with a 7-foot wingspan, Murray is an intuitive player who could meld into the Warriors system.

Jackson-Davis is likely to go early in the second round, but profiles as a player similar to Kevon Looney if the Warriors are looking for more size in the draft. He’s a strong rebounder with some eye-opening mobility and passing ability for a big (important in Golden State).

Looking back, the 2022 NBA Draft was chock full of late-first and early-second-round picks who made a name for themselves in different capacities. The Denver Nuggets took Christian Braun, a key contributor in their championship run, No. 21 overall. Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler was taken 22nd overall and has the most win shares (7.1) of any rookie last year.