If Golden State Warriors‘ head coach Steve Kerr‘s comments about the franchise being a fading dynasty weren’t true a few weeks ago, Jimmy Butler‘s torn ACL points to that being true.
With Butler now out for the season, questions still surrounding Jonathan Kuminga trade rumors, and the overall uncertainty of the team moving forward, all while Stephen Curry continues to play at an All-NBA level, the Warriors have a lot to address.
Though they don’t have any reported answers on any of those issues, Golden State would wait until the summer to get a better picture of what their future looks like, and that could be adding talent through the NBA Draft.
Writing for Bleacher Report, Jonathan Wasserman had a full two-round mock draft, in which the Warriors selected Hannes Steinbach from Washington with the 19th overall pick.
In his freshman season, the 19-year-old center is putting up strong averages of 17.8 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 18 games on 55.% shooting.
Warriors Predicted To Pick Hannes Steinbach In Mock Draft
Though still halfway through his likely only collegiate season, Steinbach has proven to be one of the best big men in the country. If the Warriors did choose to take him, with whatever pick they had, they would hope he would be an addition to the aging frontcourt of Al Horford and Draymond Green, neither of whom has been anything close to their peaks this season.
“Hannes Steinbach has consistently produced off his combination of size, soft hands, post game and offensive rebounding,” Wasserman wrote on the German prospect. “But it’s the flashes of face-up footwork, athleticism in the open floor and three-point range that separates him from the other center prospects.”
In his mock draft, Wasserman compared Steinbach to Moe Wagner of the Orlando Magic. A solid big man who has strong rebounding ability, but with some questions on defense. The prospect is also a bit skinny, and he has some questions about his potential on the defensive end of the floor, but putting up 0.9 blocks and one steal a game, there’s always room for improvement.
“There are still some questions about the value of a 6’11” big who blocks under one shot per game,” he added. “The lack of defensive upside likely caps Steinbach’s ceiling and keeps him from moving further up draft boards.”
With the Warriors’ major concerns, there is the chance that they somehow fall into the lottery, and have the chance to pick in the top 14, and even the top ten, but for now, adding a center like Steinbach could be beneficial next to Curry and whoever else is on the roster next season.
Jonathan Kuminga Trade Rumors Amid Jimmy Butler Injury
Golden State’s season, and subsequent future, got flipped on its head Monday night when Butler suffered a torn ACL. They were already struggling, still out of the playoffs, but with his absence, the next few years of the franchise look pretty bleak.
Just days before that, Kuminga had officially demanded a trade, after a long saga with the franchise that didn’t see him get put into a game by Kerr in more than a month.
However, while it was reported by multiple sources that the Warriors are still searching the trade market for a Kuminga trade, the Butler injury put him back in Kerr’s rotation, whether he wanted to make that move or not.
On Tuesday night against Toronto, Kuminga played 21 minutes and had 20 points, five rebounds, and two assists on 70% shooting in what was a solid boost for his trade value. While he was putting up similar numbers to start the season, his reportedly ‘beyond repair‘ relationship with Kerr played a part in his benching. But now, he’s back, for the time being.
The Warriors have had their eyes on several players as the trade deadline approaches, but there is no clear answer on whether they will move on from the 23-year-old or not, especially after Butler’s injury. Signs point to yes, considering how much of a strain he has put on the franchise, but with their uncertain future going forward, it’s hard to predict anything out of Golden State for the time being.
Warriors Predicted To Add Big Man Off Butler Injury, Kuminga Rumors