Michigan center Morez Johnson Jr. shoots during a predraft workout for the Golden State Warriors on Monday at Chase Center in San Francisco.
Courtesy of Golden State Warriors
Houston forward/center Chris Cenac Jr. shoots during a predraft workout for the Golden State Warriors on Monday at Chase Center in San Francisco.
Courtesy of Golden State Warriors
As the Golden State Warriors prepare for next week’s NBA draft, most of the chatter has focused on the No. 11 overall pick, their highest draft position in five years.
But what if they move back in the draft?
That possibility mostly lingers in the shadows, after the Warriors labored through an injury-filled, 37-45 season and missed the playoffs for the second time in three years. They need youth, athleticism and size, and the 11th choice in a historically deep draft counts as a prime opportunity to find help.
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Even so, the draft prospects who worked out Monday at Chase Center suggest Golden State at least is considering deals to drop down. Michigan center Morez Johnson Jr. and Houston power forward/center Chris Cenac Jr. headlined the group, and both players are widely projected as middle to late first-round choices.
The third player in Monday’s workout to address the media, Northwestern forward Nick Martinelli, is considered a second-round candidate. The Warriors also have the No. 54 overall pick in next week’s draft, late in the second round.
Golden State general manager Mike Dunleavy, who will hold a news conference Wednesday in advance of the draft, has expressed willingness to weigh all possibilities — trade up, trade down, make the pick. The prevailing wisdom suggests the Warriors want to add a marquee young talent to their 36-and-older core of Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and the injured Jimmy Butler.
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This is the highest pick the Warriors have had since they chose No. 7 overall in 2021. That’s when they tapped Jonathan Kuminga, a tantalizing talent who didn’t mesh with head coach Steve Kerr’s system and ultimately was traded to Atlanta in February.
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Now, if they stay at No. 11, the Warriors seem likely to acquire a player who could quickly step into their rotation.
“That guy has to play,” Kerr said last month of the prospective pick.
Still, if the Warriors determine they could obtain a similarly impactful player lower in the first round — say, in the 15-to-20 range — they could swap picks in a trade to collect an extra choice late in the first round, in the second round or a future pick.
In that scenario, Johnson counts as an intriguing possibility. He stands 6-foot-9, weighs 250 pounds and anchored Michigan’s defense on the Wolverines’ stirring run to the NCAA championship.
Johnson averaged 13.1 points and 7.3 rebounds as a sophomore, including 12 points and 10 boards against Connecticut in the national title game. He also brings the coveted, intangible label of “winner” after Michigan steamed through March Madness.
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“I think the second, third, fourth effort — that’s a winner’s trait right there,” he said Monday. “Just showing you’ll do anything to win (with) multiple efforts.”
Johnson, 20, offered an engaging touch when asked about the customary interview attached to pre-draft workouts with potential NBA employers.
“My interview was like an interrogation,” he said, smiling. “Pretty much asking questions, background. So I’m just making sure I’m being as honest as possible and telling them what they want to hear, pretty much.”
The sight of Johnson and Cenac in Golden State gear also raises questions about what position the Warriors might target in the draft. They need immediate help on the wing, with Butler (torn ACL) and Moses Moody (torn patellar tendon) expected to miss at least half of next season while recovering from serious knee injuries.
But Johnson and Cenac play power forward or center, suggesting the Warriors might be flexible as they try to strengthen their roster.
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Both players predictably said they could play either the four or five, and they also indicated they would fit nicely in the Warriors’ motion offense and off-ball screens for Curry. Johnson, especially, carries the muscular frame of a serious screener.
Cenac, a leaner 6-11 and 240 pounds, averaged 9.5 points and 7.9 rebounds in his one season playing for head coach Kelvin Sampson at Houston. Cenac is only 19 and doesn’t turn 20 until February.
He tossed out some recognizable names when asked whose game his game resembles.
“Guys like Anthony Davis, some Jaren Jackson, a little bit of Naz Reid,” Cenac said. “Those versatile 6-10, 6-11 guys who can pretty much do it all on the floor — rebound, defend, whatever the team needs.”
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Three other draft prospects participated in Monday’s workout: guards Devin Askew (Villanova) and Jaylin Sellers (Providence) and forward Chaze Harris (South Alabama). The Warriors were to host another session Tuesday, with three second-round candidates: Oregon center Nate Bittle, Auburn forward Keyshawn Hall and St. John’s forward Bryce Hopkins.