Lucifer (Netflix series) — The urban fantasy/police procedural throws out a love letter to fans who’ve kept the show going, years past its original conclusion on Fox. There’s double-duty from Tom Ellis and his satanic mojo this season as both Lucifer and Lucifer 2.0, and this season gets experimental with a noir episode and a “show inside a show” called called ¡Diablo! It’s a good time for all, long past the days when this Lucifer Morningstar originated in The Sandman comics.
Hoops (Netflix series) — Jake Johnson voices a foul-mouthed basketball coach in the latest adult-themed animation offering from Netflix. He’s here to turn his miserable life around by cursing at kids, and Guy Fieri guest stars alongside a lineup that includes Rob Riggle, Natasha Leggero, Ron Funches, Cleo King, A.D. Miles, and New Girl alumni Max Greenfield and Hannah Simone.
In case you missed these offerings:
Ted Lasso (Apple TV+ series) — Jason Sudeikis is reviving his small-time college football coach character (who hails back to a 2013 advertising campaign) for this show. Lasso is somehow coaching professional English soccer, and good luck to him. What’s even more important, though, is that our own Brian Grubb calls the series “almost unreasonably good,” despite the seeming odds against it.
An American Pickle (HBO Max) — Seth Rogen‘s dual roles have arrived, and the end product is both touching and hilarious to witness. Rogen plays a 1920s Jewish immigrant who falls into a vat of pickle juice and is perfectly “brined” for 100 years, so suspend your disbelief and enjoy the surprising amount of nuance here. It’s both an interesting match-up and a truly inspired Jewish version of Encino Man.
A few more streaming options for this weekend:
Love in the Time of Corona (Freeform limited series also on Hulu, Sat & Sun) — This Covid-themed event might be a case of “too soon,” but regardless, this four-episode series (which will broadcast over two evenings) explores couples who are looking for love while social distancing. The shoots all took place post-lockdown, and the series appears to achieve higher production values than we’re seeing on Zoom platforms, if one can buckle down for the theme.
The Sleepover (Netflix film) — Malin Akerman stars as a seemingly typical stay-at-home mom who’s actually in the witness protection program after a lucrative run as a high-end thief. Mom’s ex-flame (Joe Manganiello) arrives to shake up her family’s little world and give them an action-packed night that sounds like chaos.
Here’s the rest of this weekend’s notable programming:
Room 104 (Friday, HBO 10:00 p.m.) — The fourth season of the Duplass Brothers’ bizarre playground continues with a 1990s family who gets stuck in the room until someone tries to change the script on reality.
Lovecraft Country (Sunday, HBO 9:00 p.m.) — This 1950s-set dark fantasy series blew away expectations with last week’s premiere. This week, Atticus, Leti, and George attempt to make sense of their previously terrifying night of monsters to sort out exactly what’s going on with their Ardham Lodge hosts, who have cryptic plans.
The Chi (Sunday, Showtime 9:00 p.m.) — Ronnie attempts to find absolution while Jada is doling out advice and life’s having maturing effects on Kevin, Jake, and Papa.
NOS4A2 (Sunday, AMC & BBC America 10:00 p.m.) — The last stand against Charlie Manx is afoot with Vic and Maggie facing off against the not-so-immortal-after-all psychic vampire.
The Vow (Sunday, HBO 10:00 p.m.) — The NXIVM organization (known as the “sex cult” partially led by Allison Mack) gets a deep dive that promises to dig under the audience’s skin.
We Hunt Together (Sunday, Showtime 10:00 p.m.) — A deadly duo — a former child soldier named Baba and Freddie — finds themselves drawn together (to commit murder). Two detectives are hot on the trail, as the murderers have claimed victim number three.
Desus & Mero (Sunday, Showtime 10:30 p.m.) — The illustrious guest is Saweetie.
Logic has moved on from being a professional rapper, as he is now focusing his energy on his fledgling Twitch career. He has more music in the vault though, and if his fans come together and pull through, it looks like he’s going to release a new mixtape.
During a recent interview with Hard Knock TV’s Nick Huff Barili, Logic said (starting at about 29 minutes into the video below), “I was gonna do this mixtape where I rap on everybody’s beats.” He then played a clip of himself rapping on Polo G, Stunna 4 Vegas, and NLE Choppa’s “Go Stupid.” Barili said he would start a petition for Logic to release the project, to which Logic responded by saying, “I don’t know, I don’t think people want that,” and playing a song that features him rapping over Kendrick Lamar’s “Rigamortis.”
Barili pressed Logic about the idea more, and the rapper answered, “I don’t know, I don’t think anybody really wants a free mixtape with me… I like the idea of rapping on other people’s beats, because it was fun, brought a hunger in me. It was super fun to do, but I don’t know.” Barili eventually convinced Logic to go along with the idea, though, and he finally said that he would release the mixtape if a petition got a million signatures.
The depleted Nets again lacked the juice to compete against the deeper Raptors and fell, 117-92, to Toronto in Game 3 of their first-round series.
Without sharpshooting wing Joe Harris joining all their other absences, Brooklyn never really made this one close, and by the end of the blowout loss, they lost the fight that has been their trademark under Jacque Vaughn.
Here are the three biggest takeaways from Toronto’s big win.
Fred VanVleet’s playoff heroics are back
VanVleet finished with 22 points and six made threes, a typically efficient scoring night for him. The combo guard has been one of the biggest factors in Toronto weathering the departure of Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green, but by nailing a three from half court, VanVleet took things to a whole other level.
Not even he thought that was going in when he let if fly.
This might be the extent of the Raptors’ playoff rotation
Despite winning in convincing fashion, Toronto coach Nick Nurse stuck with an eight-man rotation for most of the game. While Rondae Hollis-Jefferson was out with a knee injury, Nurse also kept Stanley Johnson, Chris Boucher, and the rest of his bench seated. Nurse has zero qualms about mixing things up at a moment’s notice, and it’s nice to have a sharpshooter like Matt Thomas or an energy big like Boucher available in a pinch. But these are clearly Toronto’s eight best players, and this may be the extent of their rotation the rest of the way.
Tyler Johnson may have saved his NBA career in Orlando
After a trade sent him from Miami to Phoenix at the 2019 trade deadline, Johnson looked like a shell of himself as the Suns’ Sixth Man during the 2019-20 season. Things got so bad that Johnson was ultimately cut this spring even as the Suns clearly needed help at backup guard.
But Brooklyn nabbed him off the scrap heap heading into the Bubble, and Johnson has looked like his old self. There are far worse options as a fourth guard, as Johnson is a good spot-up shooter, a solid passer, and won’t cause things to fall apart on defense. Before the Bubble, it was an open question whether Johnson got another chance after playing so poorly for the Suns, but after another strong outing in Game 3 with a team-high 23 points on 15 shot attempts, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him suit up for someone — whether it be the Nets or a different franchise — next season.
Washington Football Team head coach Ron Rivera announced that he has a form of lymph node cancer but will continue to coach the team as it prepares for the upcoming 2020 NFL season. Washington shared an update with the public on Friday that described Rivera’s diagnosis of a squamous cell carcinoma, though it’s in the early stages and is thought to be “very treatable and curable.”
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Friday that Rivera told the team in a meeting on Thursday night and stressed that nothing changes with his role in Washington, which has included working on the team’s nickname change in recent months.
“I’m planning to go on coaching,” he told Schefter. “Doctors encouraged me to do it too. They said, ‘If you feel strongly, do it. Don’t slow down, do your physical activities.’ But everyone keeps telling me by week three or four, you’ll start feeling it.”
Rivera detailed to Schefter how he discovered the cancer and what led to his diagnosis, which happened while the team went through a tumultuous offseason where the organization was finally forced to change its nickname.
Rivera said he found a lump on his neck in early July, and when it didn’t go away after a couple of weeks, he visited a doctor. He said he was told of the cancer two weeks ago.
“I was stunned,” he said. “But I was angry because I feel like I’m in the best health I’ve been in.”
The NFL schedule starts for Washington on September 13 when it hosts the Philadelphia Eagles.
It’s spirit judging season which means it’s the perfect time to start amassing the finest bottles for your bar or to gift out as we approach the holiday season. And let’s face it, after this year, we can all use a drink. If you’re going to pour a glass, you might as well make it the best of the best, which is why we’re diving into the highest scoring bottles of Añejo Tequila from this year’s International Wine & Spirits Competition.
The IWSC’s judging panels consist of a diverse mix of experts pulled from over 30 countries, many of which are distillers themselves, giving the results that extra level of authority. Using a double-blind tasting method, the IWSC is able to get impartial opinions from its judges as each sample is pre-poured into a numbered glass before being delivered. Then, each spirit is judged by the whole panel in sync, resulting in group discussions and a decision by consensus as to which rank the highest.
The eight bottles of Tequila on this list all scored in the 90-100 range of the IWSC’s 100 point system. We’ve included tasting notes from the IWSC as well as links on where you can pick up your own bottle. Now let’s dive into the highest scoring Añejo Tequilas from 2020’s International Wine & Spirits Competition.
ABV: 40% Distillery: Tequila Tapatio Average Price:$54.99
The Tequila:
It’s not a surprise to see El Tesoro nabbing the highest score at this year’s IWSC and being the sole Tequila to take home the Gold Spirit award. El Tesoro has had quite a year, scooping up high honors from the most respected spirit tasting organizations. The Tequila is made from Blue Weber agave which ferments in wood fermentation tanks in an open-air setting. It’s then aged in ex-bourbon barrels for four to five years before bottling.
“Leafy in style with cool herbaceous notes and some oak on the nose. Spiced strawberries, cherry bubblegum and big dollop of white pepper offers a delectable and well balanced mouthfeel. Very drinkable.”
Bottom Line:
With an average price of $55, El Tesoro isn’t exactly a tequila for just any occasion. It’s a fair priced bottle given its high honors and reputation.
ABV: 40% Distillery: Tequila Tapatio Average Price:$129
The Tequila:
El Tesoro’s Paradiso Extra Añejo is beloved for its ultra-smooth texture, which is achieved by aging the tequila in ex-Cognac barrels. The result is a citrus-forward and silky smooth sipping Tequila with deep notes of chocolate underlying its unusually bright characteristics.
“A charming scent of fresh strawberries and pomegranate fills the nose. Lean and green on the palate with a subtle hint of a light fruit salad. Well balanced and pleasant.”
Bottom Line:
Right now this one is a little tough to find in the states, but if you come across it don’t hesitate to pick up a bottle as this is one of the more unique Añejos on this list.
ABV: 38% Distillery: Corporativo Destileria Santa Lucia Average Price: £125
The Tequila:
If wildly ornate bottles that make you feel like you’ve stumbled upon some sort of ancient artifact is your thing, Satryna will feel like it’s handcrafted just for your unique sensibilities. Their aged Cristalino tequila is made using steam-cooked Blue Weber Agave sourced from Guadalajara. They let the agave reach between ten to 12 years of maturity, which is about two to four years longer than average. The juice is then aged for 18 months in American oak barrels before being fine filtered to attain its clear Cristalino look. The result is packed in a handcrafted French glass decanter and encrusted with metal foils in an aesthetic inspired by Día de Los Muertos.
“Soft on the nose with a creamy and sweet texture. Strong hints of new American oak and quality agave make this a very well balanced easy sipping tequila.”
Bottom Line:
Satryna isn’t cheap, but of any aged tequila on this list, it’s hands down got the best presentation making it an ideal gift for a friend who enjoys the complexities of well-aged tequila and the natural brightness of quality agave.
ABV: 40% Distillery: Tequileña Average Price:Currently Sold Out ($200-$400 range)
The Tequila:
Cierto’s Tequila Añejo Private Reserve — aka Cierto Añejo Black Label — is a tequila that embodies its name, which is Spanish for “true.” Rather than relying on high-pressure diffusers or additives to achieve enhanced colors, Cierto is crafted using fully matured agave hand-harvested where fifth-generation master distillers slow-cook the pinas. The Añejo is aged in ex-wine casks alongside oak barrels, resulting in a deep amber hue and a smooth mouthfeel worth savoring.
“Butterscotch and herbs tantalize the nose. Sweet agave and the well-judged oak reveal an elegant character and bring a savory, yet delicate balance to the mouth.”
Bottom Line:
We’re into the pricey territory here, so while we don’t recommend blindly buying a bottle of Cierto right now, it makes an ideal bottle for serious sippers.
Cierto Tequila Extra Añejo Reserve Collection (91 Points)
Cierto Tequila
ABV: 40% Distillery: Tequileña Average Price:Currently Sold Out ($200-$400 range)
The Tequila
Yet another bottle from Cierto, this Extra Añejo is made from matured highland agave from Jalisco that’s aged in oak for four to five years. This bottle is part of Cierto’s silver-labeled Reserve Collection which is set to be priced a little bit higher than the black-labeled Private Collection. It’s made to be sipped neat or accompanying a decadent dessert. Cierto’s Extra Añejo offers a superiorly smooth natural tequila that pays homage to the agave of Jalisco.
“An excellent example of well-balanced agave and oak flavors. Salted caramel popcorn entices the nose while ripe agave drives the palate. A big splash of honey at the finish.”
Bottom Line:
We imagine we’re going to be seeing a lot of Cierto in the coming years as the brand begins to dominate the tequila space.
ABV: 40% Distillery: Tequileña Average Price:Currently Sold Out ($200-$400 range)
The Tequila:
In the two years since Cierto has arrived on the scene, it has been scooping up spirit tasting awards left and right, grabbing an unprecedented nine awards at San Francisco’s 2020 World Spirits Competition. Right now there isn’t a ton of information on this tequila out there. As previously mentioned, the bottles are set to be released in January 2021. But given that every expression made by Cierto is being suffocated with accolades, we can’t wait to get our hands on a bottle to give our first impressions.
“A lovely balanced nose highlighting attractive agave and the subtle oak. Soft vanilla and agave flavors fill the mouth, while the hint of menthol prepares you for a warming finish.”
Bottom Line:
Like the other bottles of Cierto, you won’t be able to find this bottle anywhere just yet. But when it does drop, it’s sure to top our lists as one of the finest sipping tequilas on the market if its reputation is to be believed.
Expresiones Del Corazon Sazerac Rye Añejo (90 Points)
ABV: 45% Distillery: Tequila San Matias de Jalisco Average Price:$87.99
The Tequila:
Expresiones Corazon Sazerac Rye Añejo is made using brick oven roasted agave fermented in open-air stainless steel tanks. It’s then aged in used Sazerac whiskey barrels for 19 months resulting in an unusually light-colored Añejo with a pronounced whiskey and cracked pepper aroma.
“Warming, freshly baked aromas of cherry almonds and caraway seeds. The mouthwatering bitterness of sour plums combined with vanilla give a delicious balance.”
Bottom Line:
At almost $90 a bottle, this is the high priced end of the spectrum but isn’t quite hitting the territory occupied by Strayna or Cierto. It feels like it’s worth a shot, considering its accolades.
Expresiones Del Corazón Thomas H. Handy Añejo (90 Points)
ABV: 40% Distillery: Tequila San Matias de Jalisco Average Price:$82.99
The Tequila:
Another bottle for the whiskey lovers! Expresiones Del Corazon Thomas H. Handy features Corazón Tequila’s Blanco tequila is made with a process that stretches back 130 years. It’s then aged in Thomas H. Handy whiskey barrels for 19 months at the Buffalo Trace distillery, resulting in a light golden tequila that is said to sport a long and warm finish that plays nicely on the palate.
“Floral with a big chunky pineapple character. Spicy and sweet with slightly overripe undertones. A mix of vanilla, caramel and pear drops gives this an appealing finish.”
Bottom Line:
This is a high quality sipping tequila that brings together the best of both worlds from the tequila and whiskey world.
ABV: 40% Distillery: Tequilera Milagro Average Price:$39.99
The Tequila:
This is made using estate-grown blue agave harvested from the highlands of Jalisco. Those pinas are slow-roasted in a hand-built brick oven for 36 hours and fermented in open-air stainless steel tanks. To achieve the Ańejo, Milagro ages its tequila in American oak barrels from anywhere between 14 and 24 months, depending on the batch. It’s then bottled in a tall sleek bottle that shows off the tequilas amber hue.
“Big creamy aromas of toffee and vanilla beguile the nose while buttery agave on cornbread seduces the palate. A generous whack of oak rounds the immense flavors up.”
Bottom Line:
At just $40 a bottle, Milagro is one of the best tasting Añejos you can find for the price. That makes it an easy bottle to buy for any occasion.
Sometimes the best new R&B can be hard to find, but there are plenty of great rhythm and blues tunes to get into if you have the time to sift through the hundreds of newly released songs every week. So that R&B heads can focus on listening to what they really love in its true form, we’ll be offering a digest of the best new R&B jams that fans of the genre should hear every Friday. Check out this week’s choices below.
Mariah Carey & Lauryn Hill — “Save The Day”
Singing legend Mariah Carey has arrived with her new single “Save The Day” for all her Lambs. The song also borrows from the Fugees’ 1996 cover of Roberta Flack’s classic “Killing Me Softly With His Song” and features fellow music icon Lauryn Hill. The song is expected to live on her forthcoming album The Rarities, which is set to be released on October 2.
Bjnrck — “Real” f. Boogie
Bjnrck released her first single today titled “Real” and features West Coast rapper Boogie. Boogie opens up on the track with vulnerability and the burgeoning Los Angeles-based R&B singer passionately answers with an an honest melody.
Ricco Barrino — Bad EP
Ricco Barrino has released his latest project, Bad EP, as part of a series of projects he’s set to unleash in partnership with Common Cents and EMPIRE. Bad is a sleek 5-pack and is the follow up to last week’s Good. The EPs are set to feature guest appearances from DaBaby and Blacc Zacc, among others.
Savannah Cristina — “Gold Mine”
Savannah Cristina’s “Gold Mine” is a soulful dream brimming with love. This week she unveiled a shimmery visual for latest which is the follow-up to “F’d Up” featuring Flo Milli. On the song, the talented singer turns the hook of Adina Howard’s old school hit “Freak Like Me” into a sultry melody.
MarMar Oso — “Relationship Goals”
MarMar Oso is all about “Relationship Goals” on his new single, which is expected to live on his upcoming album Marvin’s Room, due September 16. The project is slated to feature appearances from G-Eazy and Eric Bellinger.
Dianne Lopez — “Spiraling”
R&B delicacy Dianna Lopez has released the visual for her latest release “Spiraling.” Dianna takes it to the beach to sonically express herself with self-care.
Check out this week’s R&B picks, plus more on Uproxx’s Spotify playlist below.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
In early August, Lilly Wachowski confirmed a long-standing theory that The Matrix was always meant to be a trans allegory. The director and her sibling/filmmaking partner Lana Wachowski are both transgender women who transitioned at various points following the success of The Matrix films, and the transgender community couldn’t help but notice that the films speak to their experience. Thanks to Wachowski officially acknowledging that the transgender themes were intentional, the video quickly went viral, and now, Keanu Reeves is offering his reaction.
In an interview with Yahoo! Entertainment, Reeves admits that he wasn’t aware of the transgender themes present in The Matrix, and that it was never conveyed to him by the Wachowksis during the making of the trilogy, but he’s fully onboard with Lilly confirming that the film is an allegory. Would you expect anything less from Keanu Reeves?
“I think The Matrix films are profound, and I think that allegorically, a lot of people in different versions of the film can speak to that,” Reeves said. “And for Lilly to come out and share that with us, I think is cool.”
In the socially-distanced video for the Netflix Film Club, Wachowski shared her admiration for fans who continue to pick up on the transgender themes, which she says the world wasn’t ready for when The Matrix movies released in the early 2000s. In fact, the studio made moves to downplay the films’ more queer elements, so Wachowski is glad that the allegory is being more fully appreciated in recent years as trans rights have become a more prominent topic.
“I love how meaningful these films are to trans people,” Wachowski said in the video. “And the way they come up to me and say, ‘These movies saved my life.’”
Kevin Parker has been open to reinterpreting his new album, The Slow Rush, in recent times. He recently gave an acoustic performance of “On Track,” and he also re-worked “One More Year” as an 18-minute remix. Now, though, he has let somebody else do the heavy lifting: Today, he shared a new version of “Is It True,” which was remixed by Four Tet.
The fresh take on the song begins with plucked string and synth sounds that have popped up in Four Tet’s recent work before a subtle beat and Parker’s vocals emerge. The track picks up its energy from there slightly, but is generally a more ambient-leaning take on the original song.
Earlier this month, Tame Impala released a video for the original version of the song, and he was the one who did the remixing when he reinterpreted 070 Shake’s “Guilty Conscience” in July.
Four Tet is himself a prominent remixer; He flipped Caribou’s “Never Come Back” earlier this year, and he has also previously worked on songs by artists like Rihanna, Chvrches, Lana Del Rey, and a number of others. He is also fresh off the release of a new album of his own, Sixteen Oceans, which came out in March.
Listen to the Four Tet remix of “Is It True” above.
Joseph DeAngelo, the convicted serial killer whose gruesome crimes made national headlines and were the subject of a number of high profile media pieces such as HBO’s I’ll Be Gone In The Dark, was sentenced to 26 life terms without parole on Friday.
Known widely as the Golden State Killer, DeAngelo had confessed to at least 50 rapes and the murders of 13 women in the 1970s and 80s and became the subject of a number of investigations, including from author Michelle McNamara. A CNN report includes many of the gruesome details about DeAngelo’s crimes and the trial’s concluding moments, which decided he will spend the rest of his life in prison without parole.
Before sentencing, DeAngelo told the court: “I’ve listened to all your statements, each one of them and I am truly sorry to everyone I hurt.”
Last year, DeAngelo pleaded guilty to raping more than 50 women and murdering 13 people in the 1970s and 80s. As part of a plea deal, he also admitted to crimes he has not been charged with.
Prosecutors called for the maximum penalty as they remembered DeAngelo’s “voiceless” victims and their “unspeakable” suffering. They referred to the killer as the boogeyman, the devil, a madman and a beast who will never walk the streets again.
The decades-long investigation was helped in large part by McNamara, a true-crime author who became interested in the case and later helped tie a number of crimes to a single killer. She died in 2016 before DeAngelo was formally charged in the cases. Her book about the investigation was published posthumously and later turned into the HBO show I’ll Be Gone In The Dark.
Patton Oswalt, McNamara’s husband, reacted on Twitter on Friday, not about the killer’s sentence but reflecting on his wife’s passing and the victims that finally saw justice in the eyes of the law.
The insect gets none of my headspace today. I’m thinking of the victims, and the survivors, and the witnesses and crusaders and investigators. And of course Michelle. Go forward in peace, all of you. pic.twitter.com/XoYqV2X3ut
When Steph Curry remarked during ESPN’s broadcast of the NBA Draft Lottery that counting on ping-pong balls was an awkward place for the two-time champion Warriors to be, it was a reminder not only of the team’s continued dominance the past half-decade, but the opportunity in front of Golden State to stock up and return next season ready to compete for another title.
By landing at No. 2 in the Lottery and nabbing a top pick in the Draft, the Warriors are in position to upgrade their core and remake the team on the fly after a lost 2019-20 campaign. Or at least that’s what we might say during a typical offseason. Golden State is always going to have playoff aspirations with its core of Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green, but they’ve shown over the past two years that you can’t just round out top-heavy a roster with cheap G Leaguers and compete against deeper, more well-calibrated teams in the postseason.
We haven’t held the No. 2 pick since 1965.
That selection turned out to be a Warriors legend.
The question from now until draft night (which is suddenly up in the air again) will be how the Warriors choose to use this pick and the pieces on their roster — like Andrew Wiggins’ gigantic contract — to add to their championship core. But while that’s the clear course of action for this team, there is no obvious way for them to do so.
It’s actually not all the way accurate to describe 2019-20 as a lost season for Golden State. Through losing all the games they did, the team was able to give adequate development time to the types of young players they struggled to find during their run to four straight NBA Finals. We’re likely to see Alen Smailagic, Eric Paschall, and Marquese Chriss in gold and blue next year. Maybe a shooter like Damion Lee sticks around. And the Warriors’ best players are a big and two perimeter shooter/scorer types.
That brings us to the wing. Golden State lost the 2019 Finals because of injuries, sure, but also because their wing talent could not stack up to Toronto’s. They had no answer for Kawhi Leonard — which, in fairness, few do — but a much bigger concern was that they did not have much of an answer for Fred VanVleet, either. Playing Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingston, and Alfonzo McKinnie couldn’t cut it without Kevin Durant around.
Golden State landing at No. 2 might actually prevent them from getting help at the position they need most. Early projections, including our own, suggest Georgia’s Anthony Edwards is the favorite to go first to the Timberwolves, and he’s the closest thing to a wing in the top-five. Behind him, teams will be choosing from guards like LaMelo Ball and Killian Hayes as well as traditional rim-rolling bigs like James Wiseman, Onyeka Okongwu, and Obi Toppin.
Bob Myers on Warriors getting #2 pick: “Do we like somebody there? We don’t entirely control the draft, but all we have to like is two guys to be happy. So that makes it simpler.”
The Western Conference next season will still, barring unforeseen turnover, go through Los Angeles, whether it be the Clippers or the Lakers. This version of Golden State’s roster has no answer for that, and the Draft is not the place they’ll find help there.
Wiggins’ contract, which extends for three more seasons and about $95 million, isn’t the only financial asset on the Warriors’ books. Golden State also can use a whopping $17.2 million trade exception to absorb the salary of a rotation-level wing making up to that amount in 2020-21. But ESPN’s Kevin Pelton laid out why that could get expensive quickly, even for a team as willing to spend as the Warriors.
If Golden State does try to use Wiggins’ contract in combination with the No. 2 overall pick to acquire a player who helps them right now more than Wiggins, the most likely route is swapping albatross salaries. The Warriors should be looking for teams which either, A) Have more use for Wiggins’ athletic scoring skill set or, B) Are willing to take on Wiggins in order to get the No. 2 pick. Good luck finding many teams who fit either box. Speaking in purely hypotheticals here: Would the Sixers flip Tobias Harris for the ability to draft someone like Ball, who might help their offense? Might Boston be convinced to part ways with Gordon Hayward and try to develop Wiggins for the price of the second overall pick?
Myers: “A lot of people are talking about trades. The first thing we have to do is rank our board.”
The answer to all of that is probably no. Wiggins is in competition for the worst contract in the NBA. Despite the occasional flash of promise, he has never consistently looked like a capable start in the league. In a year in which salary will be more precious than any since the last television deal, the Warriors’ plan to flip Wiggins may be more of a problem than anticipated.
If the Warriors are sold on Wiggins’ potential and don’t use the Iguodala trade exception, the Draft itself could offer a few methods to get better organically. The first is simply to trade back. While the top of the class is short on wings, guys like Auburn’s Isaac Okoro, Florida State’s Devin Vassell, and Vanderbilt’s Aaron Nesmith are projected to go in the back half of the lottery and could compete for a spot in Golden State’s rotation right away.
By moving back into that range (the Pistons, Knicks and Wizards all stand out as potential partners here), Golden State could continue to replenish its treasure chest of draft picks while finding a player who better fills its unique needs. As Pelton notes, the Warriors could also target a younger player like Atlanta’s John Collins with the No. 2 pick rather than someone who matches Wiggins’ salary.
Because it’s the Warriors, we also have to consider the potential that they go really big. After all, this is the team that surprised us by recouping D’Angelo Russell when it lost Durant last summer. In this case, going big would mean dipping into the return for Russell aside from Wiggins and using the future Timberwolves first-rounder they received in that deal. That pick is top-three protected in 2021 and unprotected in 2022, making it a hugely valuable asset considering Minnesota was one of the worst teams in the NBA this season and have a steep climb ahead of them for a playoff spot in the West next year.
A lot will be said on where Golden State winds up in the lottery but I honestly believe the 2021 first (top 3 protected) from Minnesota will have more value. Early projections is that 2021 could be a strong draft. That pick is unprotected in 2022.
If the Warriors find a truly huge trade they like, Wiggins’ hefty salary combined with this year’s No. 2 pick and that future Minnesota first-round pick is a competitive starting offer. Who that player might be is anyone’s guess, but any team with a good player that wants to kick off a rebuild would, assuredly, raise their eyebrows at the thought of that much draft capital.
Regardless of what Golden States chooses here, the combination of bottoming out in a season with a poor draft class and a pandemic causing financial uncertainty for the league means there is no spectacular option to put them on track to continue their dynasty unchallenged. These are the Warriors, though, and if recent history has told us anything, it’s that they’ll make sure to exhaust all options before making a decision on which path to choose.
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Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
