The Golden State Warriors struck gold in last year’s draft, selecting Trayce Jackson-Davis with the 57th overall choice, and they’ll hunt for value again with a late second-round pick in 2024.
After acquiring a selection from the Indiana Pacers at the trade deadline, the pick is expected to be in the mid-50s, as the Warriors surrendered their first-round pick to the Memphis Grizzlies in 2019.
The Golden State Warriors are expected to choose big man PJ Hall with the 54th overall choice in a recent NBA Mock Draft.
Jackson-Davis’ influence came after four years of college at Indiana; would Golden State adopt a similar approach this time around? That is the assumption of The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor, who has the Warriors selecting Clemson Tigers big man PJ Hall in his most recent mock draft.
The 22-year-old recently finished his senior year at Clemson, and O’Connor believes Hall will make an immediate impact on Golden State, comparable to Jackson-Davis.
“Hall’s frontcourt playmaking ability would mesh very well with Golden State’s style. It would not be surprising if Hall, like Trayce Jackson-Davis, began to earn minutes immediately away.”
O’Connor has also compared Hall to previous first-round choice Blake Griffin, but in a post-prime, less athletic form of the six-time All-Star. Hall is regarded as an extraordinary screener, a gifted passer, and a capable and improving shooter.
This season, the Tigers’ 6’10 forward-center averaged 18.3 points while shooting 48.8% from the floor, 31.5% from three, and 77.9% from the free throw line. He also averaged 6.4 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 1.4 blocks in nearly 29 minutes per game.
Hall finished with 14 points, four rebounds, and two assists as Clemson was ousted in the Elite 8 by the Alabama Crimson Tide. His finest performance at the Championships came in the Sweet 16 against the Arizona Wildcats, where he had 17 points and eight rebounds.
While a pick in the 50s is unlikely to produce an NBA rotation player, Jackson-Davis has reignited interest in the type of value and influence that a late second-round pick could have in the NBA.
