Tyrese Haliburton was drafted 12th overall by the Sacramento Kings in the 2020 NBA Draft. While this was still a lottery pick for Hali, he anticipated being drafted much earlier.
According to Haliburton, he believed the Warriors would’ve taken him second overall, 10 spots higher than where he was selected.
Tyrese Haliburton Believed His Workout with the Warriors Almost Got Him Drafted There
The Golden State Warriors were in a state of flux around the 2020 Draft. Kevin Durant left for the Nets, Klay Thompson had torn his ACL and Achilles, and Steph Curry had missed nearly all of 2019-20 due to a broken hand.
Bob Myers and company wanted a big man, but Haliburton believes his workout with GSW was too good to pass up on.
On the Numbers on the Board podcast, Hali said, “My Golden State workout, that was the best workout of my life.” He reiterated this ad nauseam as he claimed this wasn’t just another good workout but was, without a doubt, the “best workout” of his entire life.
“I didn’t miss because I went in I was like ‘This is perfect’ because I know I could play in that system and Steph wants to play off ball. That allows me to have the rock and then I could find him,” Hali continued.
Curry has never explicitly stated he would rather play off-the-ball than on it. However, he has stated that “the play starts when I’m getting off the ball.” So, a half-court set with Haliburton running the point would be quite dangerous if it’s Curry he’s finding off picks.
“Steve [Kerr] stepped into my workout and was like ‘He needs to do conditioning shooting, we need to see it full court’ and then I didn’t miss again and I was like ‘They’re drafting me at two’,” said Haliburton on his increased offensive prowess during this workout of his.
Unfortunately for him, the Warriors went in a different direction. They stuck to their original plan and drafted James Wiseman second overall, believing they needed a big man next to Curry for their future.
Hali reveals that the GSW drafting officials told him that he’s “perfect” for them, but they “could draft” him at two.
Around that time, Hali wasn’t close to being a top-three pick in any mock drafts. So, this would’ve been quite the monumental swing from a front office trying to play it safe and please an aging Steph Curry.
In 2023, Bob Myers would go on to address Hali’s workout. He said, “I should have known then because of who he is as a person and as a leader.”
In hindsight, James Wiseman turned out to be quite the mistake as the Warriors moved off of him during the 2023 trade deadline, trading him to the Pistons.
Hali, on the other hand, has the most win shares (37.6) of anybody in the 2020 Draft and was the offensive engine behind the Pacers’ 2025 run to the NBA Finals.
He’s now found a home in Indiana, and aside from his Achilles tear, things seem to be working out for him. Perhaps not being drafted next to a generational superstar like Steph was for the best for him in regards to his development.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.