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2020 NBA Mock Draft: Full Predictions for 1st-Round Prospects
May 20, 2020
If the NBA draft lottery goes in favor of the Golden State Warriors, they will add a top prospect who could help them rise back up the Western Conference standings.
Georgia shooting guard Anthony Edwards and Memphis center James Wiseman appear to be the two best options for the No. 1 overall pick.
LaMelo Ball could also work his way into the top pick conversation if the Warriors, or whoever lands the top pick, values his distribution skills over Edwards' scoring ability and Wiseman's paint presence.
2020 NBA 1st-Round Mock Draft
1. Golden State Warriors: Anthony Edwards, SG, Georgia
2. Cleveland Cavaliers: James Wiseman, C, Memphis
3. Minnesota Timberwolves: LaMelo Ball, PG, Illawarra Hawks
4. Atlanta Hawks: Deni Avdija, SF, Maccabi Tel Aviv
5. Detroit Pistons: Obi Toppin, PF, Dayton
6. New York Knicks: Tyrese Haliburton, PG, Iowa State
7. Chicago Bulls: Isaac Okoro, SF/PF, Auburn
8. Charlotte Hornets: Onyeka Okongwu, PF/C, USC
9. Washington Wizards: Killian Hayes, PG, Ratiopharm Ulm
10. Phoenix Suns: Cole Anthony, PG, North Carolina
11. San Antonio Spurs: RJ Hampton, SG, New Zealand Breakers
12. Sacramento Kings: Devin Vassell, SG, Florida State
13. New Orleans Pelicans: Tyrese Maxey, SG, Kentucky
14. Portland Trail Blazers: Aaron Nesmith, SF, Vanderbilt
15. Orlando Magic: Saddiq Bey, SF, Villanova
16. Minnesota Timberwolves (from Brooklyn): Patrick Williams, SF/PF, Florida State
17. Boston Celtics (from Memphis): Kira Lewis Jr., PG, Alabama
18. Dallas Mavericks: Aleksej Pokusevski, PF, Olympiacos B
19. Milwaukee Bucks (from Indiana): Josh Green, SG, Arizona
20. Brooklyn Nets (from Philadelphia): Jaden McDaniels, SF, Washington
21. Denver Nuggets (from Houston): Precious Achiuwa, PF/C, Memphis
22. Philadelphia 76ers (from Oklahoma City): Theo Maledon, PG, ASVEL
23. Miami Heat: Nico Mannion, PG, Arizona
24. Utah Jazz: Jahmi'us Ramsey, SG, Texas Tech
25. Oklahoma City Thunder (from Denver): Tre Jones, PG, Duke
26. Boston Celtics: Isaiah Stewart, C, Washington
27. New York Knicks (from Los Angeles Clippers): Jalen Smith, PF/C, Maryland
28. Toronto Raptors: Paul Reed, PF, DePaul
29. Los Angeles Lakers: Tyrell Terry, PG, Stanford
30. Boston Celtics (from Milwaukee): Leandro Bolmaro, SF, Barcelona B
The Warriors have not picked in the top 10 since 2012, and their last No. 1 overall selection occurred in 1995.
At the moment, Steve Kerr's team contains the best odds for the top pick alongside the Cleveland Cavaliers and Minnesota Timberwolves.
If they win the lottery, the Warriors should evaluate three areas of their roster to figure out the best fit for their attempted ascension in the West next season.
Edwards could be the top scorer from the draft class, and he would be a nice complement to Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins in the backcourt.
The shooting guard proved in his lone year at Georgia that he could reach double digits on a consistent basis.
However, he struggled a bit with a 29.4 three-point percentage, and he was not able to push the Bulldogs into NCAA men's basketball tournament contention.
If he lands with Golden State, Edwards should benefit from learning under Curry and Thompson, and he could be a reliable depth option in his rookie season.
But if Golden State feels comfortable with its scoring depth, it can target Wiseman, who could make the Warriors a more well-rounded squad.
In his short time at Memphis, Wiseman provided a strong rim-to-rim presence with a pair of double-doubles and nine blocks.
Wiseman may be a good fit in the Warriors system because his rebounding ability could start fast breaks, and he has the potential to develop into a consistent scorer.
While Draymond Green has been important to Golden State's success, Wiseman would bring more size and a better ability to protect the rim.
From Wiseman's perspective, Golden State would be the best fit if the lottery goes as expected.
The Cleveland Cavaliers and Minnesota Timberwolves have experienced centers in place, and if Wiseman lands in Cleveland, he would have to wait until Andre Drummond hits free agency in 2021 to be the team's top rim protector.
If Wiseman ends up in Golden State, Edwards would likely go to Cleveland, which is the ideal situation for the Cavaliers.
In that scenario, the Eastern Conference side would add an off-ball scorer to its pair of young point guards and Drummond, if he triggers his player option for next season.
There is a chance Golden State selects Ball to develop him into a facilitator for its abundance of scorers.
If that occurs, the complexion of the first five picks could be altered significantly.
Cleveland could go after Edwards at No. 2, which would leave Wiseman susceptible to a drop because Minnesota, Atlanta and Detroit do not have glaring frontcourt needs.
But that may be viewed as an extreme scenario right now given the impact Edwards and Wiseman would have on Golden State's lineup.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90
Statistics obtained from ESPN.com