Dub Hub, Daily Warriors Links for 6/12/23: Monday mock draft roundup 2.0

Good Morning Dub Nation,

As the NBA Finals conclude this week, all focus officially shifts towards the upcoming 2023 NBA Draft. Last week, experts had the Golden State Warriors selecting Duke center Dereck Lively II with the 19^th pick of the June 22nd draft, however, the Blue Devils big man has risen up the boards, putting him out of the team’s range.

The new name generating buzz for the Warriors’ pick is combo guard Kobe Bufkin. Standing at 6-4, 187 pounds, the 19-year-old sophomore out of Michigan projects to be a versatile offensive player who shows potential of playing both on and off the ball. Last season, he shot 48.2% from the field, 35.5% from the three-point line, and 84.9% from the free-throw line. Here’s what Bleacher Reports’ Jonathan Wasserman had to say about Bufkin in his latest updated mock draft.

Via Bleacher Report:

There is a divide among scouts on Bufkin, who has believers in his versatility and trajectory and skeptics over the eventual effectiveness of his creation, shooting and physical tools. The Warriors could value Bufkin’s backcourt versatility with his three-level shot-making, efficient finishing and passing IQ.

The selection of Bufkin at 19 would be interesting given that the Warriors already roster a similar player in fellow Michigan alumni, Jordan Poole. However, with trade rumors surrounding Poole this offseason, Golden State may be looking for some insurance in case they end up deciding to move him. With that being said, let’s take a look at who else draft analysts around the league think the Warriors will select in this week’s Monday mock draft roundup:

• ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo: James Nnaji (6’10”), Center, Barcelona

With Golden State set to be a franchise impacted by the new CBA’s rules that penalize high-spending teams’ ability to trade and maximize the value of their draft picks, the Warriors have an interesting decision here. They could continue their recent trend of taking long-term bets in the draft (Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody) or simply opt to place an NBA-ready player on a cost-controlled deal at this spot.

Nnaji earned himself a role in Barcelona’s rotation this season with one of the better physical toolboxes in this draft, and could immediately add some depth and size up front alongside Draymond Green and Kevon Looney. Thinking longer term, Bufkin would also be a nice fit here, potentially giving the Warriors an eventual upgrade at guard and making it easier to move on from Jordan Poole and his hefty contract. — Woo

• Yahoo Sports’ Krysten Peek: Kobe Bufkin (6’4”), Guard, Michigan
• Newsday’s Steve Popper: Kobe Bufkin (6’4”), Guard, Michigan
• The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor: Colby Jones (6’5”), Wing, Xavier

Jones would be a perfect Warriors role player with his two-way skills, and he’s ready to contribute right away.

• New York Post’s Zach Braziller: Colby Jones (6’5”), Wing, Xavier
• Sports Illustrated’s Jared Koch: Brice Sensabaugh (6’6”), Small Forward, Ohio State

Depth has been a persistent issue for Golden State. Bringing in one of the best pure scorers in the class would be the perfect spark plug for the Warriors.

• Fansided Christopher Kline: Dereck Lively II (7’1”), Center, Duke

The Warriors tried to find their elite rim-runner and shot-blocker with James Wiseman a few years ago but it didn’t work out. Dereck Lively would represent a similar investment. He’s light on his feet and showcased elite defensive instincts down the stretch of the season at Duke. He doesn’t provide much offensively outside the paint, but Golden State can spoon-feed him finishes at the rim.

Here are the rest of today’s stories:

In case you missed it from Golden State of Mind:

• Former Warrior Festus Ezeli believes Draymond Green and Jordan Poole can rebuild their relationship
• The possible Draymond Green scenarios
• Where will Chris Paul go if waived by the Suns?
• Patrick Baldwin Jr. is the Grand Marshal at Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race
• Steve Kerr discusses the ‘hollow feeling’ stemming from Bob Myers’ exit

Other Warriors News:

• Jordan Poole’s future with the Warriors is murkier, but not unsalvageable (The Athletic)
• Chris Paul rumors: Warriors, Lakers, Knicks among teams to watch if 12-time All-Star hits the open market (CBS Sports)
• Two 3-team Trades to Make James Harden Think Hard About Houston Rockets (Bleacher Report)
• Lacob’s cunning reply to suggestion that Dubs dynasty is over (NBC Sports Bay Area)
• New CBA Implications for GSW (Light Years Podcast)

NBA News:

• The Defense of Nikola Jokic’s Defense (The Ringer)
• Nobody Knows How to Market Nikola Jokić (House of Strauss)
• 3 stats that explain why Miami Heat are on brink of elimination in NBA Finals (Fansided)
• Sources: Nuggets get package of picks in deal with Thunder (ESPN)
• Reports: Raptors expected to hire Grizzlies assistant Darko Rajakovic as coach (NBA)