There are murmurs that the top of the 2024 NBA Draft is one of the worst we have seen in years, and that isn’t a bad thing for someone like Coleman Hawkins.
Hawkins, the former Illini big man who could do everything, entered the NBA Draft process but still kept coming back to college a thing by entering the transfer portal.
In the announcement about entering the transfer portal, Hawkins also said he is 100% committed to the draft process. With those words and the fact he tore up the NBA Combine, I believe Hawkins is moving on to the next level.
NBA teams are already eyeing Hawkins as a potential draft pick as well. According to the Sacramento Kings Radio Reporter Sean Cunningham, Hawkins is working out for the Golden State Warriors on Thursday and is then making the trip up to work out for the Kings on Friday.
Former Illinois big man Coleman Hawkins, with a pretty successful Draft Combine behind him, will workout with his hometown Sacramento Kings on Friday. But first, he'll workout in San Francisco with the Golden State Warriors tomorrow.
— Sean Cunningham (@SeanCunningham) May 22, 2024
The Golden State Warriors would be smart to take Coleman Hawkins in the 2024 NBA Draft
Honestly, I like both of the potential landing spots for Hawkins. Just getting picked in the NBA Draft is an accomplishment, but either the Kings or the Warriors would be good options.
If I had to choose, I would go with the Warriors, though. The Kings have a nice roster, but they are more of a win-now team, as their younger talent is maturing. They also have a plethora of experienced forwards who can do similar things to Hawkins.
The Warriors need more youth in the frontcourt. Draymond Green is locked in for another three years, but does he make it to 37 years old? On top of that, Golden State has a couple of bad contracts. They are paying Andrew Wiggins and Green over $50-million next season combined, and together, they averaged 21.8 points per game in 2023-24.
Golden State does have some nice frontcourt pieces coming up. Trayce Jackson-Davis had a good rookie year. They are going to have to pay Jonathan Kuminga a big salary after next season. The Warriors also have some nice young backcourt pieces, like former Illinois basketball player, Brandin Podziemski. He just made the All-Rookie first team.
I believe Golden State is in more of a rebuild mode, and they have young pieces who are hungry. That is the environment I want Hawkins going into next season.