The Warriors have entered a transition period following their dynasty run that began in 2015.
Klay Thompson is an unrestricted free agent, Draymond Green is past his prime, and Stephen Curry, while still an MVP-caliber player, is 36. It seems the best days of this Warriors team are in the past.
Golden State missed the playoffs this past year after losing the first game of the play-in tournament to the Kings. The Warriors are still a threat to reach the playoffs as long as Curry is healthy, but they'll need to retool significantly for a deep run.
Besides Curry, the team lacks a consistent second option. Jonathan Kuminga had flashes of excellence in his third season, and Brandin Podziemski impressed as a rookie. That said, both would need to make a considerable leap in their developments to be seen as more than just "quality starters."
Perhaps they'll strike gold in the draft, or maybe they'll add more solid players in the offseason to prevent a disastrous post-Curry future.
Here's where Golden State picks in the 2024 NBA Draft.
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Warriors draft picks 2024: When does Golden State pick?
The Warriors don't currently own any picks in the NBA Draft, as they traded the No. 52 overall pick to the Thunder for Lindy Waters III ahead of Thursday's second round.
That could change, as teams can "buy" second-round picks from other teams by trading cash for a pick, or the Warriors can trade back into the draft traditionally by dealing a future asset for a second-rounder. As of this moment, though, Golden State is off the board entirey.
The Warriors' first-round pick belonged to the Trail Blazers entering Wednesday, but Portland traded it to the Wizards leading up to the first round. Washington used it to select Bub Carrington. The pick was initially sent to the Grizzlies in 2019 along with Andre Iguodala, then traded to the Celtics for Marcus Smart in 2023.
The Trail Blazers ended up with the selection after the Celtics packaged it with Robert Williams and Malcolm Brogdon for Jrue Holiday.
MORE: Latest news, rumors, updates about 2024 NBA Draft
Warriors 2024 NBA Draft order
No picks.
Warriors draft needs
- Depth: The Warriors are very reliant on Curry even if Thompson does re-sign with the organization. Curry will continue to see double teams if his teammates cannot consistently show up on a night-to-night basis. Kuminga and Podziemski have shown some promise, but it's not nearly enough to make up for a lot of holes in the rotation.
- Small forward: Andrew Wiggins revived his career after joining the Warriors in 2020, earning his first All-Star nod and NBA championship in 2021-22. Golden State paid him handsomely that offseason, but he's been mostly disappointing since. He's under contract for two years plus a player option before hitting unrestricted free agency, and the Warriors will have to pay him about $84 million for the three seasons. There's no small forward behind Wiggins at the moment, so a backup will be necessary.
- Second star: The Warriors have a lot of holes in their rotation and will need to address them in due time, or else they'll find themselves at the bottom of the standings. Each role can be upgraded besides starting point guard, so there isn't a wrong answer in terms of what position to target. No one is safe as the Warriors try to retool around Curry and eventually rebuild after he retires.
NBA Mock Draft 2024
Below is a look at who Sporting News' Kyle Irving projected the Warriors to select in his latest mock draft, before Golden State traded out of the round.
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | School/Team |
| 2 | 52 | Keshad Johnson | Forward | Arizona |
Keshad Johnson is a veteran college athlete, having played five years in the NCAA between San Diego State and Arizona. He's been on winning teams, and he's played in big-time games in March Madness.
Johnson is a solid on-ball defender who stands at 6-foot, 6.25 inches. He's 224 pounds and has a 6-foot, 10.25-inch wingspan.
He played his best basketball as a graduate transfer at Arizona. He averaged 11.5 points and 5.9 rebounds per game on 53 percent from the field and 38.7 percent from 3.
