The first step in the Warriors' critical offseason begins Tuesday night at the 2021 NBA Draft Lottery when the Warriors will find out their draft fate.
After missing out on the playoffs this past season, the Warriors know they have to do everything they can this offseason to maximize the remaining years of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green's prime. However, adding two rookies to an already young, inexperienced roster might not be seen as the best way to attack the monumental task facing Golden State.
It's a fine line the Warriors have to walk as they approach the 2021 NBA Draft. They know that giving Curry the best chance to compete for a title is paramount, but can't afford to view the draft through only one lens.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
"It's something that is factored in," Warriors assistant general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. told 95.7 The Game on Tuesday. "The one thing about Steph is with the way he takes care of his body, with his skill level, we think his window is going to be a lot bigger than some other people do. So, we take that into account, but as far as the draft goes, you have to be a little careful about saying, 'Hey, we're going to draft a guy that is going to be ready to play.' It's hard enough to draft a guy that is going to be a good NBA player, and now you're going to go ahead and say, 'We're going to draft a guy that is going to be impactful in his rookie year.' Really, really hard to do and there aren't a whole lot of those guys.
"We are always taking that stuff into account, in terms of Steph and Draymond and Klay's window. But, as you can imagine, there is a lot of moving targets here with Klay coming back. What point of the season is he going to be back? What is he going to be like? We've got a lot of balls in the air, but fortunately, we've got some talent -- we've got a talented roster, we've got some draft picks, we've got some ways to get better. We'll figure it out."
The best-case scenario for the Warriors on Tuesday would be a jump into the top three with their own pick and then have the Minnesota Timberwolves' first-round pick land at No. 4, giving them two picks in the top four of a loaded draft.
However, that situation is highly unlikely. The most likely scenario will see the Warriors' pick stay in its slot at No. 14 and the Wolves' pick convey at No. 7.
Golden State Warriors
Find the latest Golden State Warriors news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Bay Area and California.
RELATED: How Warriors can benefit from Simmons' blunder, humiliation
While the Warriors don't want to make their entire draft prep about finding prospects who can help immediately, they also know that it is now or never for them to build a title-contending roster around Curry, Thompson and Green.
This offseason will be all about creating a roster that is well-suited to either contend for a title next season or has the necessary assets to make a big move when one presents itself.
Trying to contend while simultaneously building for the future is an impossible tight rope to traverse, and the Warriors are at the point where it's time to go all-in around Curry, Thompson and Green for as long as their primes last.