NBA Mock Draft Sees Warriors Select Former No. 1 Recruit with 19th Pick

Gregory Jackson of the South Carolina Gamecocks, who was mocked to the Golden State Warriors.

Getty Gregory Jackson of the South Carolina Gamecocks, who was mocked to the Golden State Warriors.

The Golden State Warriors have a ton of questions looming heading into the 2023 offseason. Before any of the major storylines are played out, they’ll have to opportunity to draft another young piece to the franchise.

As a team that could have a very different look next year, selecting an impactful player in the draft may be a very important move when all is said and done.

CBS Sports’ 2023 NBA Mock Draft, written by Kyle Boone, has Golden State selecting Gregory Jackson out of South Carolina.

“I’m not ranking Jackson this high on the Big Board — he’s closer to 30 than 20 for me — but I won’t be surprised if he goes higher than expected and jumps into this range by the draft,” Boone wrote. “The former No. 1 overall recruit in his class reclassified and is one of the youngest players in the class. NBA teams love youth with room to grow, and Jackson presents an intriguing developmental case.”

Jackson doesn’t come off as a player that’s going to help the Warriors win now. His 38.3% shooting clip from the field and 32.4% mark from deep would have to improve in order for him to make an impact with Golden State.

Plus, while the freshman’s 15.4 points per game is impressive, his 0.8 assists make his fit within a fluid offense like the Warriors’ questionable.

However, Jackson being the No. 1 recruit in his high school class may mean something to Golden State. In recent drafts, that’s been something that’s stuck out to the organization. Both Jonathan Kuminga and Nico Mannion, each drafted by the Warriors, were within the top-15 of their respective recruiting classes.


Jonathan Kuminga Could Request Trade From Warriors

Speaking of Kuminga, Jackson could serve as his replacement, if drafted by the Dubs. The young forward is reportedly considering requesting a trade if his role does not increase next season.

According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania and Anthony Slater, Kuminga’s representatives are “expected to discuss his future this offseason.”

“The Warriors and Kuminga’s representatives are expected to discuss his future this offseason, league sources say,” Slater and Charania wrote. “Golden State will need to decide whether Kuminga will receive a full-time role moving forward and, if not, league sources say the No. 7 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft will want to be somewhere he can play more.”

Kuminga appeared in 67 regular-season games for the Warriors this year, playing about 20.8 minutes each time. He averaged 9.9 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game, while shooting 51.9% from the field and 37.0% from beyond the arc.

However, the issue came in the postseason, where the 20-year-old hardly saw the floor. He appeared in just four of the six games in the series against the Los Angeles Lakers, logging 26 total minutes.


Draymond Green Hopes to Stay With Warriors

On top of Kuminga, the Warriors could also lose Draymond Green this summer. The 33-year-old’s contract includes a player-option for this offseason, allowing him to opt out and test the market.

Despite that, it seems as if he’d like to stay in the Bay.

“We’ll see what happens as far as my contract goes,” Green said via NBC Sports Bay Area. “I have an opt out, everyone knows that I know that … I want to be a Warrior for the rest of my life. I want to ride with the same dudes.”

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