Tyrese Haliburton Breaks Silence on Warriors’ Choice Not to Draft Him

Getty Point guard Tyrese Haliburton of the Indiana Pacers reacts during the second half against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum on December 21, 2023 in Memphis, Tennessee. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images)

The Golden State Warriors missed an opportunity to succeed Steph Curry with a point guard who has a chance to be nearly as good when all is said and done.

Tyrese Haliburton worked out for Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, owner Joe Lacob and former general manager Bob Myers in Las Vegas ahead of the 2020 NBA Draft. The Dubs owned the No. 2 overall pick after a season-ending injury knocked Curry out the year before, and Golden State had the rare chance to add a future star to a team that, when healthy, was still a legitimate title contender.

Now an All-NBA candidate and engine for the Indiana Pacers — an offensive juggernaut with a chance to produce the most prolific statistics in NBA history — Haliburton told Tim Kawakami of The Athletic that he allowed himself to consider the possibility of joining Golden State three and a half seasons ago. However, Haliburton added that he quickly realized that outcome was unlikely due to one particular circumstance.

“I was disappointed that they [had] the No. 2 pick because I felt like if they were anywhere out of the top three, I felt like I was going to be the pick,” Haliburton said on Friday, December 22. “That workout was like the best workout probably of my life. Felt like I shot the cover off the ball. But I understood at the time there was no way they were going to take me at 2.”

Warriors Chose James Wiseman Over Tyrese Haliburton in NBA Draft

GettyCenter James Wiseman, formerly of the Golden State Warriors.

Draft night rolled around and Haliburton was there for the Warriors if they wanted him. However, Golden State chose instead to select center James Wiseman.

Wiseman never panned out in the Bay Area, as he struggled to adapt to the pro game and the injury issues that plagued him before his arrival in the NBA continued once he entered the league. The big man played just 39 games during his rookie campaign then missed the entirety of the 2021-22 season with the same knee injury sidelined him the year before.

Wiseman played 21 more games for Golden State in his third season before the franchise cut bait, trading him to the Detroit Pistons as part of a four-team deal in exchange for an injured Gary Payton II and second-round draft assets that will not come due in the late 2020s.

Haliburton, on the other hand, made his first All-Star game last year and is running seventh in the MVP race this season, per ESPN’s initial straw poll, which the website published on December 21. Through 24 games played, Haliburton is averaging 24.3 points on 49.8% shooting (40.9% from deep), a league-leading 12 assists and 4 rebounds per contest, according to Basketball Reference.

Former Warriors GM Bob Myers Admits Regret Over Failing to Draft Tyrese Haliburton

GettyFormer Golden State Warriors big man JaMychal Green blocks the shot of Indiana Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton during an NBA game in December 2022.

Wiseman may go down as one of the biggest draft busts in NBA history, a fact Myers has not been afraid to acknowledge.

The former Dubs GM, now an analyst for ESPN, spoke openly about the mistake he and the rest of the front office made by passing up the opportunity to bring Haliburton to Golden State.

That workout was a few miles from here in Vegas [with] myself, Steve Kerr, Joe Lacob, and [Haliburton] did what he does. He made a ton of shots and we looked at each other and said, “He might be pretty good.” Different kind of shot, kind of a set shot, but he made them all.

What bothers me more than anything was his workout was good [but] when we met with him after, I should have known then because of how he is as a person and as a leader. Because you meet with people, you talk to them. But that conversation left a mark because of how smart he is and how confident [he is]. It’s not fake, it’s not arrogant, it’s confidence.

Myers’ comments came during coverage of the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament, which the league held in Las Vegas in early December. Haliburton led the Pacers to the final game of the tournament, which his team lost to the Los Angeles Lakers.