Warriors figuring out options with 30th pick in draft

Warriors figuring out options with 30th pick in draft

Knowing they had just nine days to prepare for Thursday’s NBA draft, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr joked that the pick was all up to general manager Bob Myers, and Myers quickly countered that Kerr can do whatever he wants with the selection.

Assistant general managers Travis Schlenk and Kirk Lacob attended college games throughout the season, director of scouting Larry Riley and scout/consultant Larry Harris have seen plenty of games, workouts and videos, and the entire front office attended last month’s combine in Chicago.

“You have to rely on the people who have been out there all year long,” said Myers, who initiated closed-door meetings with the basketball operations staff Monday.

Even during their two-month run to the NBA championship, the Warriors were bringing in some lower-level prospects.

The players at the top of the draft class wouldn’t come to Oakland to work out for a team that doesn’t pick until No. 30 overall.

To see some of the better prospects, Myers flew out of his way to see individual workouts, like when he went to Las Vegas to see Latvian forward Kristaps Porzingis after leaving Game 4 of the NBA Finals in Cleveland.

If the Warriors do stay in their draft slot, they might be in range to take Georgia State’s R.J. Hunter, UNLV’s Rashad Vaughn or Stanford’s Anthony Brown.

Owner Joe Lacob says he’s willing to pay the luxury tax this season, but Myers knows he has to be fiscally smart.

Getting Lee off the books would save the team about $50 million in salary and NBA taxes.

The fascinating stories in this season’s draft won’t have to wait for the Warriors’ decision at the end of the first round.

[...] there could be surprises near the top of the draft.

After Kentucky big man Karl-Anthony Towns goes No. 1 to Minnesota, the Lakers have flirted with the idea of nabbing Duke center Jahlil Okafor or Ohio State combo guard D’Angelo Russell with the No. 2 pick.

“I think you see the superstar potential in (Russell), a guy who has an incredible basketball IQ and is incredibly skilled,” ESPN analyst Chad Ford said.

If you’re talking about the best basketball player, just pure basketball player in the draft, I think you can make a strong argument for D’Angelo Russell, and he’s a spectacular passer.

[...] the past 19 international players to be selected in the lottery have been shut out of All-Star Games.

Most NBA decision-makers put Towns, Okafor and Russell into a top tier, the three international players and Duke wing Justise Winslow into a second tier and players ranked Nos. 8-20 into a third.

“I think people are not sure what to do with R.J. Hunter at Georgia State, are not sure what to do with a difficult junior year where he didn't shoot the ball as well as he could have, but to me he’s your prototypical NBA ‘2’ guard who is both a playmaker and has deep, deep range on his jump shot,” Ford said.

A lot of the criticisms that were leveled his way were leveled toward Klay Thompson as well, and I think if (Hunter) had played in the Pac-12 or some other league where you’re more able to judge his talent and where he would have gotten maybe more open looks than he got at Georgia State, I think we’d be talking about him differently.

Freakishly explosive athlete who makes 82 percent of his free-throw tries.

Some believe he’s the class’ best prospect, fitting the bill of a scoring point guard.

Prospect most likely to compete in both the slam-dunk contest and three-point competition.

Probably college basketball’s most improved player the past two seasons.

Uses timing on the offensive glass and instincts on help defense to cover his lack of mobility.

First pick: