The Dubs are moving back and doubling up.
After an extremely quiet Day 1 of the 2025 NBA Draft, the Golden State Warriors are getting in on the action early on Day 2. More than an hour before the second round was set to start, the Warriors made a trade, sending their lone pick, No. 41, to the Phoenix Suns for a pair of picks later in the day. Barring any further trades, the Warriors will now have picks 52 and 59. The news was first reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania.
There are a few potential reads of this, but the simplest one is that the Dubs wanted to maintain as much financial flexibility as possible. Not counting their free agents (but assuming that they pick up Gui Santos’ option), the Warriors have nine players under contract for the 2025-26 NBA season, and three of them — Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler III, and Draymond Green — are on the books for nearly $140 million. Should the team retain Jonathan Kuminga, which looks far more likely today than it did a month or two ago, they’ll be spending a whole lot of money. There’s nothing in the NBA more affordable than a rookie who wasn’t taken in the first round, and the Dubs now will be able to fill two roster spots with such players.
Mike Dunleavy Jr. also probably likes his chances of getting some good talent at the end of the draft, as that strategy has served them well in recent years. The team selected Quinten Post with the No. 52 pick in the 2024 draft, and Trayce Jackson-Davis at No. 57 the year prior. They’ve proven themselves more than capable of finding playable talent in the 50s.
To keep up with all the picks from yesterday and tonight, follow our 2025 NBA Draft tracker.