Hoopshype says the Warriors are still working every angle with the No. 11 pick. One of those angles is a swap with the Hornets that would send No. 11 to Charlotte for Nos. 14 and 18 if the board breaks a certain way.
Warriors, Hornets, No. 11
That framework gives Golden State a narrower landing spot and gives Charlotte a chance to move up without paying the full price of a top-11 pick. The talks are tied to which players are still available, so the deal is built around the draft board rather than a fixed valuation.
Charlotte has signaled it is willing to move up. Golden State has kept its options open, and the discussion around No. 11 sits alongside the rest of its draft work as the NBA Draft gets closer.
Trey Murphy III and Ja Morant
The same draft-eve roundup also ties the Warriors to New Orleans Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III. Before this past trade deadline, several teams called about him, including the Warriors, Pistons, Pacers, Hawks, Trail Blazers, Spurs and Lakers.
The ripple effect reaches beyond that one player. After Jon Krawczynski reported the Minnesota Timberwolves are now out of the Ja Morant sweepstakes, the Sacramento Kings are also expected to look elsewhere because they are projected to take a point guard with the No. 7 pick.
DeMar DeRozan, Bobby Portis
Sacramento’s plan around DeMar DeRozan adds another layer. The Kings are expected to waive-and-stretch him barring an unexpected trade, with $25.74 million in expiring money that is only guaranteed for $10 million and can be stretched over the next three seasons.
That leaves the market in motion around the edges, where teams are still sorting out how much guard help or shot creation they need before the draft starts. The Clippers are expected to have interest in DeRozan if he reaches free agency, while Pat Riley finally landed Giannis Antetokounmpo in Miami after over a year of pursuit, and Bobby Portis will join him after shooting 45.6 percent from 3-point range last season.
What remains unanswered is which prospect the Warriors and Hornets are really chasing with the No. 11, No. 14 and No. 18 discussion. Once the board starts falling, that choice will tell the rest of the league which direction the pick swap was built to take.
