Warriors' Ideal 2024 NBA Mock Draft and Players to Target in Draft-Day Trades
The Golden State Warriors face a daunting challenge for the 2024 NBA offseason.
In the span of a few months—or functionally, a couple of weeks—they need to reshape a play-in tournament roster into a championship contender.
Sounds impossible, right? Well, to be frank, there's a chance this offseason proves that it is.
Then again, with Stephen Curry on the roster, it's hard not to hold onto at least some semblance of hope for the improbable. And if Golden State managed a few impact moves to improve the roster around him, maybe this club could go championship chasing next season.
Since the upgrade search likely starts in earnest at the draft, let's spotlight some of the best possibilities on the board by identifying the ideal pick and then highlighting two players worth pursuing in trades during the annual talent grab.
Ideal Mock
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52. Antonio Reeves, SG, Kentucky
The Warriors don't need to swing for upside in the draft—not that there's likely to be much of it at the 52nd pick, anyway.
Singling out a specialist is fine it that prospect has something to conceivably contribute next season. Reeves might qualify.
He is, as B/R's Jonathan Wasserman put it, "clearly one of the class' top shotmakers who also has a good feel for how get himself those catch-and-shoot, pull-up and floater chances within an offense's flow."
In other words, Reeves can play within a system and still find ways to make an impact. Given that Golden State seemed short on support scoring and shooting this past season and could enter the next one without Klay Thompson, Reeves would have a non-zero chance of filling a fairly significant role.
Trade Target: Dejounte Murray, Atlanta Hawks
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The Hawks seem more than ready to break apart their backcourt, and while the Warriors have no use for Trae Young, they could absolutely find a starting spot for his backcourt mate.
Dejounte Murray is a former All-Defensive honoree on a three-year run of averaging better than 20 points and five assists. And while he isn't the most reliable shooter around, he did just show as much perimeter promise as ever, averaging a career-high 2.6 three-pointers with a 36.3 percent conversion rate.
In Golden State, Murray could handle a co-starring role with Stephen Curry on the court or initiate the offense when Curry needs a breather. In other words, Murray could help replace both Klay Thompson and Chris Paul if each exits the Bay Area this offseason.
Murray wouldn't come cheap in a trade, but he shouldn't blow up the budget. He isn't a big enough prize to warrant sacrificing Jonathan Kuminga, but a package built around a next-tier prospect, a first-round pick or two and the necessary salary-filler would hold win-win potential.
Trade Target: Kevin Durant, Phoenix Suns
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Golden State's roster this past season checked off a ton of boxes. There were shooters and table-setters, veterans and prospects, on-ball stoppers and paint protectors.
Where the Warriors came up short, though, was starpower. That wouldn't happen if they managed to reunite with Kevin Durant.
Now, it doesn't sound like he's available, but the Suns are in such a tight spot—over the second apron, woefully short on trade chips—that it'd be worth an aggressive offer from the Warriors (think, Kuminga, draft picks and more) to test that commitment.
If the Dubs did land Durant, they'd suddenly have the second scoring star they've been without, not to mention an easy system fit, a versatile defender and a capable secondary playmaker. They'd still be old, not super athletic and certainly not the title favorites, but their skills, smarts and experience would be tough for anyone to match.
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