UTEP Sent the Warriors One Hall of Famer and One Player Who Didn’t Even Make the Team

The Golden State Warriors have seen their top talent come through the NBA draft big time, and sometimes those picks deliver in wildly different ways. Case in point: the guys they drafted out of Texas-El Paso. We’re talking about a Hall of Famer and another dude who didn’t even make the squad. Wild, right?

Hardaway’s Legacy: Six Seasons and a Hall of Fame Nod

Let’s kick it off with the GOAT of this UTEP crew: Tim Hardaway. Drafted in the 1st round, 14th overall, back in the 1989 NBA Draft, Hardaway played four seasons at Texas-El Paso before hitting the big league. And man, did he deliver for the Warriors. He spent six seasons with the team, absolutely crushing it, and rightfully earned his spot in the Hall of Fame. That’s a serious pick, a player who truly shaped that team’s history. He’s the kind of guy any franchise dreams of finding in the draft.

The Other UTEP Draftees: A Mixed Bag of Outcomes

Then you’ve got the other UTEP draftees, and their stories are a bit different. Dave Lattin, a forward, was picked even higher than Hardaway in the 1967 draft, 1st round, 10th overall. He played two seasons at Texas-El Paso but only spent one season with the Warriors. Not quite the long-term impact of a Hardaway. And then there’s Luster Goodwin, a guard taken in the 4th round, 71st overall, in the 1985 NBA Draft. He played four seasons at Texas-El Paso, just like Hardaway, but get this: he didn’t even make the Warriors’ team. That’s a tough break, showing just how high the stakes are when you make those draft picks.

The Warriors have always used the draft to build their rosters, grabbing players from “tiny colleges to blue blood programs.” These guys from Texas-El Paso are a prime example of that approach, with some truly contributing significantly and others, well, not so much. It’s a reminder that even the best draft strategies can lead to unpredictable outcomes.

This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.

Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.