The Golden State Warriors have to send their first-round pick to the Utah Jazz this season if they finish outside of the Top 7 in the NBA Draft lottery.

Right now, they are in a three-way tie for the sixth-worst record in the NBA with the Toronto Raptors and New Jersey Nets with 22 wins.

Golden State, a franchise that has made the playoffs only once since 1994, can ill afford to miss out on one of the deepest draft classes in recent memory.

Even if they finish with the sixth or seventh worst record, they still have to be worried about being jumped by one of the teams behind them for a top-3 spot in the lottery, which would drop them outside of the Top 7. If they finish with the eighth-worst record, their only chance to keep their pick is through having one of their ping pong balls selected.

For all intents and purposes, a win against Dallas on Friday night could be a devastating blow to their future. Welcome the wonderful world of the NBA, where apparently no one has heard of a "moral hazard".

Stephen Curry, Andrew Bogut and David Lee have already been shut down for the season, so Mavericks fans can expect to see a lot of rookie second-round picks Jeremy Tyler and Charles Jenkins as well as undrafted free agent Mickael Gladness.

But hey, with the playoff race in the Western Conference so tight, Dallas will take all the wins they can get.