Warriors acquire the No. 41 pick in tonight’s draft

For the third time in four years, the Golden State Warriors have purchased a second-round pick in the NBA Draft. Only this time they did it a little bit in advance.

With the draft still more than eight hours away, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Warriors acquired the No. 41 pick from the Atlanta Hawks. In exchange, the Warriors will pay the Hawks $1.3 million, and send over a second-round pick in 2024.

Just two years ago, the Warriors bought a second-round pick from the Chicago Bulls so they could draft Jordan Bell. The year before that, a pick purchased from the Milwaukee Bucks resulted in Patrick McCaw.

The Warriors now have three picks in the draft - 28, 41, and 58 - which gives them a bit of flexibility. While the 2019 NBA Draft isn’t considered to be strong (outside of the top pick), there is a feeling that it has depth. Many draft analysts believe that a lot of NBA-caliber players will be taken in the 20-50 spots.

Golden State now has two spots in the draft to have a good chance at getting an NBA-ready contributor for the coming year (plus a shot at grabbing one with the 58th pick). And with three picks total, the team has some opportunities to package them around in a trade, should they wish.

Despite sending money to Atlanta, this move could save the Warriors a huge chunk of change. If they draft someone at No. 41 who makes the team’s roster, then that’s one fewer veteran’s minimum contract they have to dole out. Given their luxury tax payments - which threaten to eclipse $6 for every dollar spent - that could really help the finances.

As of now, the Warriors have no future incoming draft picks, meaning the 2024 second rounder that they’re shipping off leaves them with only one pick in that year’s draft.