The OKC Thunder hosted their parade Tuesday, marking the official end of the 2024-25 NBA season.
The league will now turn its entire focus to the NBA Draft, which gets underway with the first round on Wednesday.
Building through the draft is a key way teams can build and sustain long-term success — and the Golden State Warriors will have a chance to add a piece of depth during the two-day event.
Behind Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green, the Warriors have the makings of a contending squad, though they need to have a successful offseason to build out the roster.
The No. 41 pick poses an opportunity for the Warriors to get a cheap bench option to try and address one of their needs. In a mock draft by Clutch Points, the Warriors are predicted to draft Marquette guard Kam Jones in the second round — filling a void left by the Jordan Poole trade in 2023.
“Jones could theoretically fill the void that Golden State has been looking to fill since trading Jordan Poole in 2023,” Clutch Points writes. “After all, Jones can play with or without the ball in his hands, and he averaged 19.2 points per game at Marquette this past year while also averaging 5.9 assists.”
Bringing in a talented guard capable of scoring the basketball to provide relief in the non-Curry minutes would be an ideal addition for Golden State, especially as they need players to complement Butler in the rotation.
Butler is a pass-first player, and he acts as a hub of the offense when Curry is on the sideline.
Jones is a seasoned four-year guard at the collegiate level, logging 137 appearances and 113 starts with Marquette. In his senior year, the 6-foot-4 guard averaged 19.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game.
Conveniently enough, Poole — a former Warriors champion — was traded prior to the NBA Draft, being sent from the Washington Wizards to the New Orleans Pelicans.