In the high-stakes world of the NBA Draft, where a single pick can redefine a franchise’s trajectory, the Golden State Warriors’ 2020 decision to select James Wiseman with the No. 2 overall pick stands as a colossal misstep—one that continues to reverberate through the organization six years later. For a perennial title contender, landing a top-3 pick was a golden opportunity to fortify their roster around Stephen Curry and secure a bridge to the post-Curry era. Instead, the Warriors’ choice to draft Wiseman over future All-Stars like LaMelo Ball, Tyrese Haliburton, and Tyrese Maxey has been labeled by ESPN’s Zach Kram as the franchise’s “biggest mistake” since the dawn of the decade.
The 2020 NBA Draft was a rare chance for Golden State, a team battered by injuries during the 2019-20 season, to inject elite talent into their championship-caliber core. With Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green still in the fold, the Warriors had a chance to add a cornerstone piece who could contribute immediately and grow into a star. Instead, they opted for Wiseman, a raw, unpolished center whose inexperience and defensive shortcomings clashed with the Warriors’ fast-paced, read-and-react system.
Kram argues that a successful pick could have propelled Golden State back to the NBA Finals while laying the foundation for long-term success. “If their pick clicked, they could give Curry the boost he needed to return to the Finals and set the franchise up for longer-term success after Curry’s eventual decline,” he wrote. Yet, the Warriors’ gamble on Wiseman’s potential backfired spectacularly. The young center struggled to adapt, and a torn meniscus sidelined him for the entire 2021-22 season—the same year Golden State won the NBA title without him.
Wiseman’s tenure in Golden State was marred by more than just injuries. His raw skill set and defensive deficiencies made him a poor fit for Steve Kerr’s system, which thrives on versatility, quick decision-making, and defensive tenacity. By the 2022-23 season, the Warriors had seen enough. They traded Wiseman to the Detroit Pistons in a deal that brought back Gary Payton II, an undrafted guard whose hustle and defensive prowess earned Kerr’s trust and proved far more valuable to the team’s immediate goals.
The Warriors’ front office faced challenges in evaluating prospects during the 2020 draft due to COVID-19 restrictions, which limited in-person workouts and forced reliance on college footage and scouting reports. Still, passing on players like Ball, Haliburton, Maxey, Desmond Bane, Jaden McDaniels, and others who have since blossomed into impactful NBA talents remains a glaring oversight. As Kram noted, “Six years later, the Warriors are stuck trying to eke out more wins while Curry is still near his peak, because there is no more succession plan in Golden State.”
Among the players overlooked, Tyrese Haliburton’s story stings the most. Selected 12th overall by the Sacramento Kings, Haliburton quickly emerged as a dynamic playmaker. After a trade to the Indiana Pacers in 2022, he blossomed into a perennial All-NBA and All-Star talent, culminating in leading the Pacers to their first NBA Finals appearance in 2025. Remarkably, Haliburton had his sights set on Golden State. In a 2023 interview with The Athletic’s Tim Kawakami, he revealed his disappointment at being passed over by the Warriors.
“I was disappointed that they (had) the No. 2 pick because I felt like if they were anywhere out of the top three, I felt like I was going to be the pick,” Haliburton said. He described a pre-draft workout with Golden State as “the best workout probably of my life,” where he “shot the cover off the ball.” Yet, despite his confidence, he knew the Warriors were unlikely to take him at No. 2. “I understood at the time there was no way they were going to take me at 2,” he admitted.
The regret runs deep in Golden State’s front office. In 2023, former Warriors GM Bob Myers candidly admitted to The Athletic that he and Kerr misjudged Haliburton, acknowledging the point guard’s fit as a versatile, high-IQ player who could have thrived alongside Curry. Haliburton’s playmaking, shooting, and basketball instincts would have been a seamless match for Golden State’s system, offering both immediate impact and a long-term heir to Curry’s throne.
The Wiseman selection underscores a harsh reality for the Warriors: their championship window is narrowing, and the failure to draft a future star in 2020 has left them without a clear succession plan. While Curry remains a transcendent force, the Warriors are now scrambling to maximize his prime without a young cornerstone to build around. The likes of Ball, Haliburton, and Maxey are thriving elsewhere, serving as painful reminders of what could have been.
As Golden State navigates the 2025-26 season, the shadow of the Wiseman pick looms large. It’s a cautionary tale of the risks inherent in drafting for potential over fit, especially for a contending team with little margin for error. For a franchise that has prided itself on shrewd decision-making, the 2020 draft remains a haunting miscalculation—one that may have cost them not just a title, but a future.