The Warriors' decision-makers started arriving in Chicago on Tuesday, eager to begin prospect interviews at the predraft combine and maybe even more intent on initiating trade talks.
The team is considering a number of options for its four draft picks, according to Warriors and league sources, including trading some or all of them for a current NBA starter such as Andre Iguodala, trading up in the draft to get a top-five prospect like Michael Kidd-Gilchrist or even moving back in the draft to secure future assets.
"Having four picks is a tremendous situation to be in, and I think we can do some good things with it," Warriors general manager Bob Myers said. "We're excited. We have a tremendous amount of assets, which puts us in good shape to explore a variety of opportunities. It's up to us to make something of it."
With three rookies (Klay Thompson, Charles Jenkins and Jeremy Tyler) under contract and the possibility of a fourth (Chris Wright) remaining with the team, Myers doesn't want to use all four of this year's picks - instead, he'd like to use a couple of the picks to trade for a proven commodity.
If healthy, the Warriors have four players inked into the starting lineup: point guard Stephen Curry, shooting guard Thompson, power forward David Lee and center Andrew Bogut. The Warriors say they want to re-sign small forward Brandon Rush, a restricted free agent, but they'd also like to upgrade their starting small-forward spot.
The Warriors thought they had worked out a trade last summer for Iguodala, but the deal, which would have brought the swingman west in exchange for Monta Ellis, was vetoed while the 76ers were in the process of being sold. Iguodala remains on the Warriors' wish list, and they've expressed similar interest in Portland's Nicolas Batum, Chicago's Luol Deng, Memphis' Rudy Gay, Indiana's Danny Granger and Atlanta's Josh Smith.
Portland has given every indication that it will match any offer sheet signed for Batum, a restricted free agent, and Chicago has balked at past trade discussions involving Deng. League sources, however, think Gay could be dealt in a salary-cap-salvaging move by Memphis, Indiana could move Granger to allow star-in-the-making Paul George to play his true position, and Atlanta could break up its consistently middling core by trading Smith.
The Warriors ideally would like to deal the No. 7 pick, one of their selections in the 30s and Dorell Wright for an upgrade at small forward. Then, they could use the remaining pick (No. 30 or 35) on a big man, like St. Bonaventure's Andrew Nicholson, and have the mid-level exception to offer an experienced free-agent point guard.
The Warriors think Andre Miller might have played his way over mid-level money with a strong playoff showing, but they believe they have a good chance at landing Jason Kidd. If Deron Williams signs with Dallas, the Warriors can tempt Kidd with the mid-level exception and offer the Bay Area native a front-office job after he retires. They'd also consider Kirk Hinrich and Raymond Felton, though those players might hesitate at being regarded as backups.
There's a good possibility that the Warriors' Plan A doesn't go exactly as planned, and the team said it doesn't expect to finalize any moves until a week before the June 28 draft at the earliest. In the meantime, the Warriors will be discussing contingencies.
The Warriors see Kentucky's Kidd-Gilchrist as the draft class' best fit for their roster. The 6-foot-6, 216-pound forward is tough and athletic and provides all of the intangibles that make for a winning team. He doesn't need the ball to make an impact on a game and probably would be the Warriors' second-best defender from Day 1 in Oakland.
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