The Warriors are reportedly eyeing 7-foot-1 center Derek Lively II in the upcoming 2023 NBA Draft.
Golden State, which currently holds the No. 19 overall pick, would likely have to step up a gear to select the Duke product. According to Action Network’s Matt Moore, the Warriors front office, now led by new general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr., is ready to do just that.
“The Hawks and Warriors are two teams that I’ve heard from multiple sources are interested in a pick with Lively,” Moore reported Sunday. “It looks like you’re going to have to be at least 10th to get there.”
Lively, who struggled for the first two months of his first season, hasn’t always been so highly regarded in the 2023 draft class. But The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie wrote on Thursday that “few players have had a process stronger pre-draft than Lively”. He’s riding on many scorecards and being projected by most pundits as a late lottery pick for his defensive abilities as a rim protector.
In 34 games with the Blue Devils, Lively proved to be one of the best defensemen in college basketball averaging 5.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game and shooting 65. .8% from the field.
The Warriors could use a young defensive-minded backup center after trading former No. 2 overall pick James Wiseman to the Detroit Pistons in February.
Now, what would the Warriors give up?
ESPN’s Jonathan Givony reported Wednesday, citing sources, that 20-year-old forward Jonathan Kuminga could be on the trade block for any deal the Warriors make to advance in the draft. Golden State would likely want more in a Kuminga trade than just moving up nine spots, but that’s something to watch as Dunleavy operates in his first draft as team general manager.
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