Is Franz Wagner the Warriors’ secret target with the No. 7 pick?
Among players projected to go in the top 10 of Thursday’s draft, Michigan’s Franz Wagner has had the most secretive pre-draft process. In an effort to control his eventual landing spot, Wagner skipped the draft combine and was selective with the workouts he participated in.
There’s a growing belief across the league that Wagner has a promise from the Sacramento Kings that would set his floor at No. 9. But, according to a league source, Wagner did conduct a private workout with Golden State and the possibility of the Warriors making him the seventh pick is gaining steam.
When I asked Wagner recently about the workout with the Warriors, he elected not to disclose that information but did say he would “fit in really well” alongside Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green in Steve Kerr’s system.
“My versatility can help that team a lot,” Wagner said. “I think the way I defend multiple positions and also shoot the three well is what’s going to help me stay on the floor or get on the court. I can read the game well and play a free game — that’s what I would call it.
“Golden State plays that a lot. They just move a lot off the ball and pass the ball and move the ball a lot and move their bodies and that requires high-IQ players and players that play the game well with each other. I think I could do that really well.”
Although Wagner has not been talked about as much as other prospects such as UConn’s James Bouknight, G League Ignite’s Jonathan Kuminga and Australia’s Josh Giddey, he could be among the players the Warriors consider with the seventh pick.
Following a sensational sophomore season in which he stuffed the stat sheet by averaging 12.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.0 blocks per game, Wagner represents the sort of player that could complement Golden State’s core. He can shoot, pass and defend while helping provide much-needed depth at the wing position.
Speaking to reporters about what the Warriors hope to accomplish in Thursday’s draft, general manager Bob Myers hinted that he is not looking to take a complete project at No. 7.
“We would like this draft pick, whether it’s seven or 14, to come in and play,” Myers said. “I don’t know whether they beat (core players Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins) out but we would like them to provide depth.
“I think realistically having them as beating out our top four, five, six guys is going to be a challenge no matter who we take, even if we were draft, one, two, three, four, five, that’s a challenge for even those guys,” he continued. “But we would like, whoever we take, to be supplemental and to be playable.”
When it comes to “supplemental and playable,” no prospect likely to be available to Golden State checks those boxes better than Wagner. Kuminga is as physically gifted as anyone in this draft but is widely considered as raw and not immediately playable. Bouknight may offer some immediate scoring and star potential but still needs to grow as a playmaker and defender. Plus, his skillset may be redundant of Jordan Poole.
Neither would help address the immediate need at the wing, a position that will be limited to only Thompson and Wiggins once free agency begins next week. With Kelly Oubre Jr. and Kent Bazemore seeking long-term deals as free agents, it’s unclear if either will return. Selecting Wagner would guarantee that the Warriors would have another body on the perimeter.
Though he doesn’t have an elite handle or above-the-rim athleticism, players with Wagner’s blend of size (6-foot-9), ability to defend multiple positions and promising shooting stroke are rare. Considered one of the top team defenders in the draft, Wagner helped anchor Michigan’s fourth-ranked defense last season. He smoothly switched from guarding smaller players on the perimeter to protecting the rim.
Compared to the draft’s top wings, Wagner also projects as the best shooter. Though his 34.3% clip from 3-point range isn’t itself impressive, his 83.5% rate from the free-throw line indicates that he is a natural shooter.
Meanwhile, there’s reason to wonder if the shots of Kuminga (24.6% from 3-point range, 62.5% on free throws) and Florida State’s Scottie Barnes (27.5% from 3-point range, 62.1% on free throws) will ever come around. The top half of recent drafts are littered with ultra-athletic wings (Josh Jackson, Stanley Johnson, Thomas Robinson) who busted because they couldn’t shoot.
Given his shooting ability and high basketball IQ, Wagner’s bust potential is minimal. And despite playing two years in college, he’s still only 19, providing the upside to continue growing into a reliable two-way player.
Those kinds of players are in high demand in today’s league. Even if Wagner never develops into a star, he could star in a role with Golden State. As Myers and the rest of the Warriors front office mull whether to take a swing or play it safe on Thursday, Wagner may represent the best of both worlds.