Warriors prefer Anthony Edwards in NBA Draft to revive dynasty

What will going from first to worst get the Golden State Warriors?

The prize could be Georgia shooting guard Anthony Edwards.

The Warriors finished the coronavirus-shortened season with the NBA’s worst record and have a 14-percent chance at drawing the No. 1 pick in the draft lottery rescheduled for Aug. 25. The Cleveland Cavaliers and Minnesota Timberwolves also have a 14-percent chance based on the new lottery system to discourage tanking.

If the ping-pong balls come up Warriors and they don’t trade the pick — as general manager Bob Myers said he is open to doing — the likely selection is Edwards, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

If the Warriors slip to No. 2-5 and Edwards is off the board, the options are Iowa State’s Tyrese Haliburton, Auburn’s Isaac Okoro, Israel’s Deni Avdija and others, per the report. There is no consensus top pick in the draft this year.

The one-and-done Edwards averaged 19.1 points and 5.2 rebounds per game as the SEC Freshman of the Year for Georgia, which had a 16-16 record and was second-to-last in the conference when the college basketball season was cancelled.

It’s a strange position for the Warriors after five straight trips to the NBA Finals, winning three championships.

Adding Edwards to a dynamic offensive backcourt with Klay Thompson and Steph Curry would allow the sharpshooters more rest on legs that have become weary from the deep playoff runs.

Curry and Thompson combined to play in just five games this season, which along with Kevin Durant’s departure, is the main reason the Warriors plummeted to the bottom of the league with a 15-50 record. They started the season 24-0 in 2015-16.

Only 22 teams – 13 from the Western Conference and nine from the Eastern Conference – are restarting the season July 31 in Orlando. The rest can turn their attention to the rescheduled Oct. 15 NBA Draft at Barclays Center.