Overview
- In mid‑August 2026 Haliburton told the Numbers on the Board podcast that his Golden State workout was "the best workout of my life" and that coach Steve Kerr had him run the team’s full‑court conditioning shooting drills.
- Haliburton said he left the workout convinced the Warriors would take him at No. 2 but that team staff later told him they liked the fit while saying they "couldn’t draft" him at that slot.
- The Warriors instead chose James Wiseman at No. 2 in 2020 because the front office prioritized adding a center to pair with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green.
- Haliburton dropped to the lottery, landed with Sacramento and later became the Indiana Pacers’ franchise playmaker who led them to the 2025 NBA Finals before suffering an Achilles tear; he was medically cleared in August 2026 but urged cautious minutes and expressed frustration about his scheduled road opener.
- Reporters and analysts are revisiting Golden State’s draft choice because Wiseman’s injuries and limited playing time left him unsigned while Haliburton has accumulated the strongest production of the 2020 class, a contrast that raises questions about fit, risk assessment, and long‑term roster planning.