The Warriors are guaranteed to land a top-five selection in the 2020 NBA Draft. They will find out exactly where they are slated to pick when the lottery is held Aug. 20.
But in the end, the front office might decide to trade the asset to acquire a veteran player who is more likely to contribute immediately.
Hey former Golden State coach PJ Carlesimo -- what would you do if you were general manager Bob Myers and coach Steve Kerr?
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SIGN UP HERE "There's not a Zion (Williamson). There's not somebody that's really gonna impact the Western Conference race," he said this week on KNBR 680. "If they're able to get a veteran who can come in and contribute -- yeah, I think that's the way to go.
"They're gonna know what's available there (in a trade). I still think they're looking more now. If those two guys (Steph Curry and Klay Thompson) are healthy, what's the piece that's gonna make the team a little bit better? That's all anybody is gonna be able to do.
"The nucleus is still there, they're gonna be in the hunt."
The path the Warriors ultimately choose very well could be decided by what happens with the ping pong balls. If they win the lottery and get the No. 1 overall pick, perhaps another franchise falls in love with a prospect and offers Golden State a package it can't refuse. Or maybe it's the Warriors who determine they simply can't pass up on a certain guy, and turn down any trade requests.
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But if the lottery is not in the Warriors' favor and they slide all the way to No. 5 (there is a 48 percent chance this happens), they won't have as many options or as much flexibility.
So yes, the lottery is extremely important and plays a massive role in how NBA history unfolds. But no matter what happens, Carlesimo is bullish when it comes to the Warriors' title aspirations in the immediate future.
"Golden State is very, very close," he said. "Bob and Steve are gonna know what's available for them that literally is gonna make a difference next year and the following year.
"Forget down the line."
[RELATED: Report: Wiseman 'high' on Warriors' list for draft workouts]
Lastly, don't forget that the Warriors could keep the pick and use their $17.2 million trade exception, the taxpayer mid-level exception and veteran minimums to add some legitimate contributors.
They have many options at their disposal.