Following an underwhelming 2022-23 NBA season, the Warriors are ready and hopeful that a new addition could be just what the team needs to once again be a championship contender.
That can happen in just a few weeks as the 2023 NBA Draft is set for June 22 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The Warriors, with the No. 19 overall pick, have a couple of options.
What they choose to do with it could be a reflection of how their season ended, former Warrior and current NBC Sports Bay Area analyst Festus Ezeli said on a recent "Dubs Talk" episode.
"All that uncertainty puts a kind of different emphasis and different pressure and importance on this year's draft," Ezeli said. "So what do you do with that piece? Do you trade it off to somebody else and package a deal? Whatever it looks like, especially with [Warriors general manager and president of basketball operations] Bob [Myers] being gone, there's a lot of moving pieces."
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On top of Myers stepping away from his role at the end of the month, Golden State has a handful of significant decisions to make this offseason.
Their beloved dynasty, which has won four championships together, could be at risk with Draymond Green, Klay Thompson and coach Steve Kerr's Warriors futures uncertain. Ezeli hopes the core stays together, and if they do, he sees them winning two more titles. The NBA champ knows the team has several things to check off its list before turning the page to the draft.
"That's one of the first things that they need to figure out, figuring out the Draymond situation," Ezeli said. "And then the draft pick, I think that's going to be based on the money, how the money shakes up. The difference between $20 million and $25 million and paying Draymond, it's kind of minuscule when you think about NBA contracts, but in terms of luxury tax with the Golden State Warriors, it's a big deal.
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"So these are all decisions that need to be made. I want to answer the question about the draft, but there's so many different things before you get there."
Ezeli did mention one prospect by name, and he might sound (and look) familiar.
"There is an importance to the NBA draft," he continued. "I think that the pieces that you get you can find. I've seen some rumblings about [Sacramento Kings forward] Keegan Murray's brother, who's also a shooter. Different pieces like that."
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Whether or not the Warriors make a huge splash, Ezeli is confident in his former squad's ability to get back to its championship ways.
"Honestly, it doesn't really matter. I think that this time is talented enough," Ezeli said. "This team is very talented. When we talk about [Kevin Durant] coming to the Golden State Warriors and all these different pieces and these moves, I think part of it was because they were coming to the Warriors, they enjoyed playing with each other, they had great chemistry.
"So when you brought a new piece in like a draft pick, the guys come in and they're able to find what their role is and contribute to the highest degree."
