The Warriors are on the hunt for the perfect draft prospect to fit their system, situation and needs.
They need wings who are versatile on the defensive end and can shoot. They need a player who can come and play a role on a title-contending team and also possibly grow into one of the next faces of the franchise. We know they have their eyes on Deni Avdija, Tyrese Haliburton and Isaac Okoro, but another wing has entered the chat.
Saddiq Bey.
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Villanova head coach Jay Wright told the media that Warriors coach Steve Kerr has picked his brain about Bey, and the 6-foot-8 forward reportedly is an option for Golden State if the Warriors move down the board.
"According to multiple league sources, Golden State would strongly consider Bey if it trades down to a mid- to late-lottery," Connor Letourneau of The San Francisco Chronicle reported Friday.
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Bey, 21, is one of the older prospects in the draft. But his maturity and high basketball IQ, as well as a lethal 3-point jump shot and ability to guard one through four make him an appealing option for the Warriors.
The Warriors own the rights to the No. 2 overall pick in a not-so-loaded draft class. While they would love to move down a few begs and pick up an additional asset, they will have to find a team that is in love with LaMelo Ball, James Wiseman or Anthony Edwards and strongly desires to move up.
The Detroit Pistons (No. 7), New York Knicks (No.8) and Washington Wizards (No. 9) likely are the Warriors' best chances for a trade down.
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Warriors forward Eric Paschall, who played with Bey at Villanova, believes the former Wildcat would be an ideal fit for the Warriors' system.
“I think he’d fit in well just because he can play multiple positions,” Paschall told Letourneau. “He can shoot it very well, and he’s just very mature. ... I know he would be very ready to come play for us and contribute some minutes.”
All options are on the table for the Warriors with the 2020 NBA Draft less than a month away. Bey has the look of a prototypical NBA 3-and-D wing and would be a good complement to Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins.
The rangy forward checks a lot of boxes the Warriors are trying to fill this offseason. If they can't move down the draft board, will the Warriors feel comfortable taking him at No. 2 or will they choose to go with Avdija, Wiseman or another prospect who might have a perceived higher ceiling than Bey?
It's hard to say, but Bey would give them exactly what they are looking for in the right draft circumstance.