When the 2019-20 NBA season began, Steph Curry and D'Angelo Russell were expected to be the Warriors' top two scorers, with Klay Thompson expected to miss the duration of the campaign.
But almost exactly 10 months later, the two were the last two men standing as representatives for the 2020 NBA Draft Lottery. Curry's Warriors ended up with the No. 2 pick, while Russell and the Minnesota Timberwolves, which acquired the point guard at the trade deadline in a blockbuster deal with Golden State, wound up with the top selection.
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The Warriors and Timberwolves entered Thursday's lottery with identical odds (14 percent) at securing the top pick, along with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Golden State had the league's worst record (15-50), while Minnesota finished just above the Warriors in the West (19-45).
Russell wasn't the only Warrior sent to Minnesota in that transaction, as Jacob Evans and Omari Spellman also were part of the deal that brought Andrew Wiggins to the Bay Area.
Now that the full selection order has been set, teams finally can begin preparing for who they want to surround stars like Curry and Russell with when the Oct. 16 draft rolls around.