NBA Draft rumor: Warriors looking to buy a second round pick

During ESPN’s mock draft special, draft expert Adrian Wojnarowski dropped this little rumor about the Golden State Warriors: they’re apparently looking to buy a second round pick in the 2018 NBA Draft on Thursday.

For anyone who has been following the Warriors recently — even the most unrepentant bandwagoner — this should come as absolutely no surprise.

Back in May, Warriors owner Joe Lacob casually suggested that the defending champions might be interested in buying a second round pick while attending the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago.

The Warriors have bought picks to select Jordan Bell and Patrick McCaw, who were great values at the 38th pick in the last two drafts. In short, the Warriors are not only willing to buy picks, but they’ve been pretty good at scouting and drafting talent in the second round. And, as I wrote in May, given their current salary cap situation — they have four All-Stars to pay and a rotation around them — the draft is essential for finding talent that doesn’t demand another hefty contract.

As for who they might be targeting, it’s anyone’s guess — Charlie Stanton has been reviewing draft prospects who could fit the Warriors throughout the year and any number of those guys could be available in the second round. They have another workout today and, in a draft that could get sort of wild at top, you never know who might slip to them in a second round scenario.

Let’s see what magic the Warriors can pull off on Thursday night.

For more on the draft and prospects that could fit the Warriors, check out our NBA Draft section.