Warriors Rumors: 'Thought' Is GSW Want Vets After Not Getting Value from Draft Picks

Facing a potential crossroads that will determine the short-and-long-term future of the organization, the Golden State Warriors have a lot to figure out leading up to the 2023 NBA draft on Thursday night.

Per The Athletic's Sam Vecenie, there's a "thought" Golden State may look toward older players who are more NBA-ready with the No. 19 pick "after not getting a ton of present-day value out of its selections in the last three years."

Golden State's draft tendency in recent years has been to go with younger players who have a lot of upside but will need time to develop their skills in the NBA.

The results have been mixed, at best. Jordan Poole (No. 28 pick in 2019) played a big role in the Warriors' run to the NBA title during the 2021-22 season and parlayed that success into a four-year, $128 million contract extension in October.

Poole took a significant step back this season, despite averaging a career-high 20.4 points per game. He had his worst shooting percentage (43.0) and three-point percentage (33.6) since his rookie year in 2019-20.

James Wiseman (No. 2 pick in 2020) was traded to the Detroit Pistons in February after falling out of the rotation for head coach Steve Kerr. Jonathan Kuminga (No. 7 pick in 2021) showed promise in his second year with a 37.0 three-point percentage in the regular season, but he averaged just 6.1 minutes per game in the playoffs.

Patrick Baldwin Jr. (No. 28 pick in 2022) played sparingly as a rookie and had two stints in the G League.

Poole and Kuminga have been mentioned in trade rumors this offseason, though there's no indication anything is close to happening at this point.

The first order of business for new general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. is a new deal for Draymond Green after he opted out of his $27.6 million salary for next season.

If the Warriors want to run things back with their core of Green (if he re-signs), Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, drafting a raw prospect who is at least a few years away from being a significant contributor in the NBA doesn't make sense.

Vecenie has Golden State selecting Connecticut sophomore Jordan Hawkins with the 19th pick, but also noted Iowa's Kris Murray, UCLA's Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Santa Clara's Brandin Podziemski are also in the mix.