The 2020 NBA Draft is slated to kick off on Wednesday evening with the Golden State Warriors currently in line to pick second overall. While the initial belief was that whoever was selected by the Warriors would immediately join the likes of point guard Stephen Curry, shooting guard Klay Thompson, power forward Draymond Green and swingman Andrew Wiggins, things appear to have changed just a bit over the course of the last several hours.
According to multiple reports, Thompson suffered a seemingly significant injury to his lower right leg on Wednesday, something that could cause the veteran two guard to miss an extended period of time in 2020-21. Thompson, of course, missed time during the 2019-20 campaign due to a torn ACL in his left leg, an injury from which he had already fully recovered.
If the Warriors are going to compete at a high level in the absence of Thompson in 2020-21, perhaps Golden State will need to bring in another top-tier guard in order to fill such a void. If this is ultimately the decision that is made by the Warriors' higher-ups, there are more than a few viable options for the heralded Western Conference franchise that is looking to rebound in a hurry.
1. Bradley Beal, Washington Wizards
In the absence of oft-injured point guard John Wall, longtime Washington Wizards shooting guard Bradley Beal showed out in a big way in 2019-20. Doing just about everything right for the entirety of last season despite being dealt quite the dismal hand as the Wizards were absolutely atrocious, Beal can no doubt excel on the offensive end of the floor—something that should really intrigue the Golden State Warriors.
Beal is a tremendous player, which means that it won't be easy to secure his services if you are the Warriors as acquiring the veteran shooing guard would certainly cost a pretty penny. Even so, it would no doubt be worth it for Golden State as Beal has a few years left on his current contract in addition to the fact that he is only 27 years old as it stands today. An eight-year veteran with All-Star talent with at least two years of team control can help the Warriors in the absence of fellow shooting guard Klay Thompson and beyond while Beal could give this team some more flexibility to trade away the injured Thompson if that is the direction that Golden State wants to go in.
2. Spencer Dinwiddie, Brooklyn Nets
Because the Brooklyn Nets are apparently looking to wheel and deal in order to bring in even more talent alongside the tandem of point guard Kyrie Irving and forward Kevin Durant, the Golden State Warriors will probably need to move quickly if the Western Conference franchise is going to get a deal done here. Due to Brooklyn's excess of talent, especially on the offensive end of the floor, it isn't too farfetched to think that the Nets would be willing to part ways with a player like guard Spencer Dinwiddie.
With two years remaining on his current contract, Dinwiddie is also just 27 years old and could provide the Warriors with a few different looks while not forcing Golden State to change anything up. Dinwiddie can start, come off the bench and provide some scoring help when point guard Stephen Curry and others need a breather. Because Golden State will be welcoming back a slew of players from injury, it may take this team a bit more time to really get going as additional depth in the absence of hobbled shooting guard Klay Thompson could go a very long way for the Warriors in 2020-21.
3. Zach LaVine, Chicago Bulls
The Golden State Warriors are an impressive team on the offensive end of the floor—there is no doubt about that. With most of the team's superstars returning from injuries in 2020-21, it remains to be seen as to how Golden State adapts early on next season. With that in mind, adding some more offensive firepower couldn't hurt, especially if starting shooting guard Klay Thompson has once again injured himself and misses extensive time in 2020-21.
One of the players that should be near the top of the Warriors' list if a trade is ultimately made is Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine. Flashy, talented and all-around impressive, especially if the spotlight isn't solely on him, LaVine can add yet another wrinkle to an already prolific Warriors team while also possessing the ability to fit in around point guard Stephen Curry and swingman Andrew Wiggins. Only 25 years old with two years remaining on his current contract, LaVine could help the Warriors now while also serving as trade bait if Thompson can return a bit sooner than anticipated.
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