[Leftcoast]

Call me snake-bitten.

I coughed and spit out my tea when I read someone say he'd trade Curry for a couple of draft picks and some role players.  It's not personal (no appetite for flame wars!) but when I hear that sort of talk I wonder how long you've even BEEN a Warriors fan.  Long term fans know how the Warriors have used their first round picks and know they are legendary in a bad way. A very, very bad way. We've had year after year where we had the promise of lots of low first round picks and we've had a few years where we've been championship contenders. I don't want to go back to the former.

Here's a partial list of Warriors first round misses in the high-pick 80s-90s-early 2000s wilderness years: Joe Barry Carroll (1), Ricky Brown (13), Lester Conner (14), Russell Cross (6), Chris Washburn (3), Tellis Frank (14), Chris Gatling (16), Latrell Sprewell (24) (Admittedly an all-star but ...), Joe Smith (1), Todd Fuller (11), Adonal Foyle (8), Jeff Foster (21), Mickael Pietrus (3), Andris Biedrins (11), Ike Diogu (9), Patrick O'Bryant (9), Marco Bellinelli (18), Anthony Randolph (14).   And then, finally, Steph Curry (7) in 2009.

Ok, I left out some hits (ex Chris Mullin, Tim Hardaway) but you get the point, the NBA draft is a high stakes poker match with 32 other teams at the table. Everyone will lose more often than they win and the Warriors have history as the sucker at the table.

The Curry championship window is still open if the team puts the right folks around him as last year proved.  His value to the franchise goes beyond the epic points, for example high end free agents will come to the Warriors for the chance to play with Curry. In the 80s that type of player wouldn't return the GM's phone calls. Trade Curry and they may lose our number again. Transcendent talent only comes your way once in a generation and you don't trade it away for a chance at Latrell Sprewell, Joe Smith or Chris Washburn.

Finally, here's the top 16 draft picks in Wiseman's draft year.  This is another draft where I'd take 2023 Curry over any two picks - particularly knowing the Warriors considered LaMelo Ball radioactive. Looking at this may make the Wiseman failure a little easier to stomach, after Ball (and maybe Edwards or Halliburton) there's not much there.

2020 First Round:
1 MIN Anthony Edwards Georgia
2 GSW James Wiseman Memphis
3 CHO LaMelo Ball
4 CHI Patrick Williams Fl St.
5 CLE Isaac Okoro Auburn
6 ATL Onyeka Okongwu USC
7 DET Killian Hayes
8 NYK Obi Toppin Dayton
9 WAS Deni Avdija
10 PHO Jalen Smith Maryland
11 SAS Devin Vassell Florida State
12 SAC Tyrese Haliburton Iowa State
13 NOP Kira Lewis Jr. Alabama
14 BOS Aaron Nesmith Vanderbilt
15 ORL Cole Anthony UNC
16 POR Isaiah Stewart Washington

[Leftcoast]

Call me snake-bitten.

I coughed and spit out my tea when I read someone say he'd trade Curry for a couple of draft picks and some role players.  It's not personal (no appetite for flame wars!) but when I hear that sort of talk I wonder how long you've even BEEN a Warriors fan.  Long term fans know how the Warriors have used their first round picks and know they are legendary in a bad way. A very, very bad way. We've had year after year where we had the promise of lots of low first round picks and we've had a few years where we've been championship contenders. I don't want to go back to the former.

Here's a partial list of Warriors first round misses in the high-pick 80s-90s-early 2000s wilderness years: Joe Barry Carroll (1), Ricky Brown (13), Lester Conner (14), Russell Cross (6), Chris Washburn (3), Tellis Frank (14), Chris Gatling (16), Latrell Sprewell (24) (Admittedly an all-star but ...), Joe Smith (1), Todd Fuller (11), Adonal Foyle (8), Jeff Foster (21), Mickael Pietrus (3), Andris Biedrins (11), Ike Diogu (9), Patrick O'Bryant (9), Marco Bellinelli (18), Anthony Randolph (14).   And then, finally, Steph Curry (7) in 2009.

Ok, I left out some hits (ex Chris Mullin, Tim Hardaway) but you get the point, the NBA draft is a high stakes poker match with 32 other teams at the table. Everyone will lose more often than they win and the Warriors have history as the sucker at the table.

The Curry championship window is still open if the team puts the right folks around him as last year proved.  His value to the franchise goes beyond the epic points, for example high end free agents will come to the Warriors for the chance to play with Curry. In the 80s that type of player wouldn't return the GM's phone calls. Trade Curry and they may lose our number again. Transcendent talent only comes your way once in a generation and you don't trade it away for a chance at Latrell Sprewell, Joe Smith or Chris Washburn.

Finally, here's the top 16 draft picks in Wiseman's draft year.  This is another draft where I'd take 2023 Curry over any two picks - particularly knowing the Warriors considered LaMelo Ball radioactive. Looking at this may make the Wiseman failure a little easier to stomach, after Ball (and maybe Edwards or Halliburton) there's not much there.

2020 First Round:
1 MIN Anthony Edwards Georgia
2 GSW James Wiseman Memphis
3 CHO LaMelo Ball
4 CHI Patrick Williams Fl St.
5 CLE Isaac Okoro Auburn
6 ATL Onyeka Okongwu USC
7 DET Killian Hayes
8 NYK Obi Toppin Dayton
9 WAS Deni Avdija
10 PHO Jalen Smith Maryland
11 SAS Devin Vassell Florida State
12 SAC Tyrese Haliburton Iowa State
13 NOP Kira Lewis Jr. Alabama
14 BOS Aaron Nesmith Vanderbilt
15 ORL Cole Anthony UNC
16 POR Isaiah Stewart Washington