SAN FRANCISCO — Second-round picks have a reputation for being afterthoughts in the NBA draft, just pointless time-fillers announced by deputy commissioner Mark Tatum on the TV broadcast.

The Warriors have the No. 41 overall pick in the 2025 draft, which is far from the top of anyone’s list of places Golden State could find a contributor to help the team’s upcoming push for the fifth title of the Steph Curry era.

So should Warriors fans, who watched the veteran-heavy team lose in the second round of the playoffs, ignore the upcoming draft next Wednesday and Thursday?

When looking at the past 20 drafts, history shows that it could be unwise.

From MVPs to solid starters at every position, the past two decades have shown that there is great value to be found in the middle of the second round.

Even if Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy does not orchestrate a trade back into the first round of what is expected to be a deep draft, he can still find gold.

BEST-CASE SCENARIO

Nikola Jokic (Denver, 2014)

Yes, you have probably heard that Nikola Jokic was picked during a Taco Bell commercial.

What you might not have known is that the three-time MVP was the No. 41 overall pick by the Nuggets in the 2014 draft.

So will lightning strike twice?

No, because there is a better chance of lightning striking the same spot three times – or Draymond Green developing into a 45% 3-point shooter – than Dunleavy picking one of the 20 best players of all time after 40 players have already been selected.

But there is a chance the Warriors find their next franchise cornerstone.

GOOD STARTER

Jodie Meeks (Milwaukee, 2009), Pat Connaughton (Brooklyn, 2015), Jarred Vanderbilt (Orlando, 2018), Eric Paschall (Golden State, 2019), Tre Jones (San Antonio, 2020), Adem Bona (Philadelphia, 2024).

None of these players became MVPs or averaged 25-point triple-doubles, but they made contributions.

Meeks (9.3 points per game) and Connaughton (35.6 3-point%) were and are long-range snipers whose shooting ability always gave their teams great spacing for their stars.

Paschall played in the NBA from 2019 to 2022 and was one of the Warriors’ few bright spots during the 2019-20 season when he averaged 14 points per game as a rookie. And do not be surprised if he ends up on an NBA roster next season.

Vanderbilt (5.9 points, 6.2 rebounds per game) took a while to get going, but he is now a versatile big on the Lakers who impresses with defense and makes up for his non-existent scoring game with underrated passing chops.

Jones will never be a superstar, but he has carved out a career as a dependable backup point guard (8.4 points, 4.7 assists per game) who can run an offense, and Bona (5.8 points, 1.2 blocks per game) was not overmatched last year as a rookie for the flailing Sixers.

EVERYONE ELSE

Roko Ukic (Toronto, 2005), James Augustine (Orlando, 2006), Chris Richard (Minnesota, 2007), Nathan Jawai (Indiana, 2008), Jarvis Varnado (Miami, 2010), Darius Morris (Lakers, 2011), Tyshawn Taylor (Portland, 2012), Jamaal Franklin (Memphis, 2013), Stephen Zimmerman (Orlando, 2016), Tyler Dorsey (Atlanta, 2017), Joe Wieskamp (San Antonio, 2021), EJ Liddell (New Orleans, 2022), Amari Bailey (Charlotte, 2023)

While finding a starter is possible, the rest of the No. 41 picks over the past 20 years show that the draftee becoming a non-factor is probably the most likely outcome.

A few, like floor general Ukic, big man Dorsey, and the late point guard Morris, were able to hang around for a few seasons and even cracked rotations.

But even more ended up like Franklin, Zimmerman, and Bailey, non-factors who flamed out after a year or two.