THE 2023 NBA Draft is set to take place later this month, with the next crop of potential superstars set to join the world’s most prestigious basketball league.

With plenty of hype around the talent in the 2023 draft class, thanks to a French phenom locked in as the number-one pick and lots of depth later down the order, June 23 (AEST) will change the future of the league in a big way.

Rookie Me Central will be continuing the NBA Draft Team Preview series, taking a look at each participating side’s draft hand and some potential options at each selection. The next side on the agenda are the Golden State Warriors.

Coming into last season as the reigning champions, the Golden State Warriors showed glimpses of the side that won it all in the 2021/22 fixture. However, they struggled to win games on the road and ended up falling short of the Western Conference Finals.

Now, they will head to the NBA Draft with just one selection, although they could add a genuine gun with their first round selection.

Golden State Warriors

Draft selections

19

Contracted players

Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green (player option), Gary Payton II, Kevon Looney, Jonathan Kuminga (team option), Donte DiVencenzo (player option), Jordan Poole, Moses Moody (team option), Patrick Baldwin, Ryan Rollins, Anthony Lamb (qualifying offer), Ty Jerome (qualifying offer)

The Warriors still have one of the strongest lists in the NBA, but with their stars reaching the twilight of their respective careers, the team will need to top up at the draft if it wishes to keep competing in the same manner.

With the 19th pick, the Warriors could add a replacement for the likes of Curry or Thompson with a few names standing out from this perspective.

The team could add the services of Kobe Bufkin, who has shown the capability to play both the one or the two during his college career. Given the team already has Poole on the books, only one guard is needed to create the backcourt of the future, and Bufkin could be the answer. He has shown plenty as a playmaker, defender and a strong foundation as a shooter, although it is an area he will need to address over the course of his NBA career. Regardless, Bufkin is certainly on the table for the Warriors.

Alternatively, the team could opt to add another spot-up shooter in Jordan Hawkins, who seems the best fit in Golden State’s system as it stands right now. A team that thrives itself on perimeter movement and three-point shooting, Hawkins would essentially be Thompson’s successor, given his ability to knock down shot from behind the arc, and would thrive under the guidance of Thompson, Curry and Steve Kerr.

The Warriors may be entering a bit of a transition phase given the age of their big names, but the 19th pick allows them to add to the next generation that will carry the torch forward.