The Golden State Warriors seem set for the next couple of seasons. With Stephen Curry leading a roster filled with established veterans and promising youth, the Dubs are sitting pretty with a recent title already in their trophy case.
But that doesn't mean that the Warriors front office is resting on its laurels. They're still continuing to build on the future through the 2022 NBA Draft, just as they always have, and even swung a move to trade up for a pick.
Golden State traded their 51st overall selection and $2 million in cash to the Atlanta Hawks to move up seven spots and take Ryan Rollins from Toledo at 44. Warriors GM Bob Myers was vocal on the decision to get pro-active and acquire Rollins.
Via NBC Sports Bay Area:
“It wasn’t like we had to get a backup guard, as much as it was we think this guy is very talented and we want to grab him on our roster. We talked about could he play with Poole? Who could he play with?”
“At the end of the day, we saw a talent. And we didn’t think he’d be there at No. 51. Thankfully, Joe agreed and said you can spend the million and go get him. That was the logic behind it,” the Warriors exec explained.
Ryan Rollins was a 6'4″ sophomore guard for the Toledo Rockets. He averaged 18.9 points on 46.8 percent shooting. He also grabbed 6.0 rebounds and dished 3.6 assists per contest, while also pickpocketing for 1.7 steals per game. Clearly his performances impressed the Warriors brass enough to make a move for him.
“We didn’t think he’d make it that far [to the No. 51 pick]. The gap between Rollins and the next guy we had was pretty high. And that’s why we made the move to try to get up to No. 44.”
Considering the Warriors' draft history, it's a safe bet that they could turn him into a productive NBA player.
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