SAN FRANCISCO – Every time Draymond Green suits up for the Warriors, he is an active reminder that Golden State has a storied history when it comes to great second-round draft picks.
When the Warriors use what is expected to be their only selection of the 2025 NBA Draft to pick No. 41 overall on Thursday – the same spot that Denver chose Niloka Jokic with in 2014 – the franchise has a chance to add another player to that list.
“We’re getting ready for that. Forty-one, I will say on that pick, there has been a multi-time MVP picked there, so anything can happen,” Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy said during Monday’s news conference.
So who are the best second-rounders in Golden State history? From high-scoring guards and Bay Area lifers to elite offensive rebounders, the Warriors’ past includes a varied array of once-underrated prospects who defied the odds.
Their second-round picks have also produced their future head coach (Keith Smart, 1988), an NBA Finals record-holder – with 73.9% on FGs for their ’75 title team — (Derrek Dickey, 1973), the president/architect of this year’s Pacers NBA Finals team (Kevin Pritchard, 1990) and a father-and-son duo (Pace Mannion, 1983; Nico Mannion, 2020).
Here’s who tops the list of their best:
Draymond Green
A foundational piece of the Warriors dynasty lasted until the No. 35 pick in the 2012 draft. He has remained an elite defensive player even as he enters his late-30s. Is a slam-dunk Hall of Famer, having made nine all-defensive teams, won one Defensive Player of the Year award and been the do-everything stopper on four championship teams. He created the archetype for the modern small-ball, switchable center. One of the greatest passing forwards ever whose dribble-handoffs with Steph Curry defined a generation.
Phil Smith
The smooth shooting guard attended Washington High School in San Francisco before moving on to USF. He was the No. 29 pick in the 1974 draft and won the NBA title in 1975 as a role player for the Warriors. In 1975-76, Smith averaged 20 points, 4.4 assists and 4.6 rebounds per game and was named second-team All-NBA. He finished seventh that season in MVP voting. He averaged 17.5 points per game in six seasons with the Warriors and twice scored 51 points in a game — in January and December 1976.
Gilbert Arenas
Arenas did not have a long career in the Bay Area, but, as was the case for his entire career, it was memorable for reasons both on and off the court. Arenas believed he should have been a first-round pick in 2001 — not No. 31. He ended up being proven right by averaging 10.9 points per game as a rookie and 18.3 points per game in his second season, when he was named the league’s Most Improved Player. After two seasons with Golden State, Arenas signed with the Wizards as a restricted free agent to a $60 million deal. The Warriors were unable to match the offer without going over the salary cap. The transaction led to the so-called “Gilbert Arenas rule,” designed to prevent similar scenarios from happening again.
Monta Ellis
The 40th pick in the 2005 NBA Draft was named Most Improved Player in 2007, but his impact went beyond that solitary accolade. He was a key player on the “We Believe” team that shocked and captivated the NBA world with its first-round upset of top-seeded Dallas in ’07. During some lean years between that epic upset and Curry’s ascension in 2013, Ellis was a rare bright spot for Golden State as he averaged over 20 points per game four times. His acrobatic drives, tough shot-making and gaudy point totals gave fans something to cheer about in the team’s non-contending seasons.
Joe Ellis
The other Ellis on the list was the No. 13 pick in the 1966 draft and as Bay Area as they come. He attended Oakland powerhouse McClymonds High School in the early-1960s, and then followed in the footsteps of fellow Mack alum Bill Russell by starring at the USF. Ellis developed into a reliable double-digit scorer for the then-San Francisco Warriors. After retiring from basketball in the 1970s, he remained a Bay Area staple, working for the San Francisco Parks and Rec department and coaching youth teams in both basketball and table tennis.
Honorable mentions
Gus Williams: The 20th pick in the 1975 draft spent the first two seasons of his career as a productive player in the Bay Area, finishing second in Rookie of the Year voting. But he was best known for his time in Seattle, where he became ‘The Wizard’ and helped lead the Sonics win the 1979 NBA title.
Larry Smith: The 24th overall pick in the 1980 draft who was a dependable frontcourt option for Golden State for nine seasons. Averaged an eye-popping 4.4 offensive rebounds per game despite standing just 6-foot-8. Nickname was “The Man with the Golden Legs.”
Marc Jackson: It took three seasons for the 38th pick in the 1997 NBA Draft to make his Warriors debut. He only played 65 games for Golden State but made them memorable. Finished third in Rookie of the Year voting by averaging 13.2 points and 7.5 rebounds per game as a 26-year-old.
Larry Costello: Played two seasons after being the No. 13 pick in the 1954 draft by the Philadelphia Warriors, missing one year in between to serve in the Korean War. Became an elite, all-NBA player in Syracuse, and then coached the Bucks to a championship in the early-1970s.