Warning to Warriors followers -- what you are about to read might trigger one of two reactions: rifling through your medicine cabinet for some arsenic, or rushing to the Warriors' offices armed with torches and battering rams. Suppress those instincts, though, because it isn't as bad as it seems.

Gilbert Arenas' agent, Dan Fegan, was quoted in Friday's Denver Post on the topic of how much it would take for an NBA team to sign his client. "If you're asking whether a starting number of $7 million is enough to sign Gilbert Arenas," Fegan said, "the answer is unequivocally no, it's not."

Now, take a deep breath, count to 10, put down the bottle and/or the matches.

It's not even June yet. It's the agent talking. The game is now officially afoot. And even if it's a game the Warriors would have a hard time winning, it's not their fault this time.

WARRIORS FANS with long, sharp memories had to shudder last month during the NBA draft lottery when their team landed the No. 11 pick.

The last year the Warriors drafted 11th was 1996.

When the Warriors' turn to draft arrived in the first round, Kobe Bryant was still available. So was Peja Stojakovic. So were Steve Nash and Jermaine O'Neal.

The Warriors chose Todd Fuller. They considered him to be a safe. He was a college senior. A solid citizen.

Fuller turned out to be a full-blown flop and the poster child for Warriors draft futility.

So what did that Warriors debacle teach us?

Lesson No. 1: The NBA draft is a time for bold, decisive action, not safe, conservative choices.

Lesson No. 2: You don't need a high pick to strike gold in the NBA draft.

Jim Boylen became the first member of Rudy Tomjanovich's coaching staff to land another position when he completed a deal to become an assistant coach with the Warriors on Friday, one week after Tomjanovich stepped down as Rockets coach.

Boylen had been with the Rockets 11 seasons, four as a video coordinator and the past seven as an assistant coach.

"I've very thankful for my 11 years," Boylen said. "Les (Alexander, Rockets owner) took good care of me. Les and Carroll (Dawson) and Rudy were such a big part of my development as a coach. This has been a great place for me. I had a chance to do a lot and learn a lot.

If the Denver Nuggets are intent on signing Golden State Warriors free-agent guard Gilbert Arenas, it might take a large chunk of their free-agent dollars.  

Arenas's agent, Dan Fegan, said Thursday that projections he has read about his client signing a contract starting in the $7 million range are off base.

"If you're asking whether a starting number of $7 million is enough to sign Gilbert Arenas, the answer is unequivocally no, it's not," Fegan said.

Denver is in desperate need of a starting point guard and has about $22 million to spend in free agency this summer. Arenas might be the top prospect on the Nuggets' free-agent wish list. Teams cannot comment on their interest until the signing period opens July 1.

Oregon's Luke Ridnour worked out Wednesday for the Warriors, who could be considering the Pac-10 Player of the Year with the 11th pick in the June 26 draft. Ridnour, a 6-foot-2, 175-pound point guard, said he has heard he could go anywhere from eighth to 20th. He is scheduled to audition today for the SuperSonics, who have the 12th and 14th selections.

Ridnour would seem to be well suited for the Warriors' up-tempo style after averaging 19.7 points and a conference-high 6.6 assists as a junior this past season in the Ducks' fast-paced offense.

"That's how I like to play," he said. "It would be a good fit as far as that goes."

Ridnour worked out with Chris Thomas, a 6-1, 180-pound point guard from Notre Dame.

The Warriors worked out three players Friday who could be candidates for their first pick in the NBA Draft.

Marquette guard Dwyane Wade, Louisville guard Reece Gaines and point guard Leandrinho Barbosa of Brazil auditioned at the team's practice facility for about 90 minutes before members of the coaching staff and front office.

Texas A&M guard Bernard King, the Big 12's all-time leading scorer, rounded out the foursome, which visited one day after the Warriors received the 11th pick for the June 26 draft.

The Warriors this week started private workouts with draft hopefuls at their practice facility. Coaches and front-office personnel put the prospects through late-morning drills, after which the gym is free for Warriors players to use.

Point guard Gilbert Arenas has showed up occasionally to work out at team headquarters since the regular season ended. It's possible, then, that anytime Arenas takes the court in the weeks before the draft, one of his potential replacements could be just leaving.

Such is the nature of the Warriors' offseason. As much as the Warriors have stressed the importance of re-signing Arenas -- as well as his backup, Earl Boykins -- they must prepare for the possibility that the NBA's Most Improved Player will bolt after he becomes a restricted free agent in July.

An offseason that will center on the point-guard position comes into sharper focus tonight at the draft lottery in Secaucus, N.J., where forward Antawn Jamison will represent the Warriors at the annual drawing to determine the order of the first 13 selections.

Warriors general manager Garry St. Jean is taking no chances in the game of luck and ping-pong balls, better known as the NBA draft lottery.

He gladly stepped aside when Warriors forward Antawn Jamison offered to attend today's lottery, in Secaucus, N.J., in his stead.

You see, St. Jean has yet to experience lottery success. The Warriors have participated four times since St. Jean's first one in 1998 -- and dropped positions each time.

"I'm tired of making faces, frowning, pouting," St. Jean quipped. "Antawn agreed to go and I'm thrilled to stay right here in the Bay Area with my toes and fingers crossed."

Jason Kidd dropped another hint Monday that he's leaning toward re-signing with the Nets after this season when, while answering questions about a weekend televised interview, he said, "To be realistic, I think I'll be in New Jersey."

Kidd said that in response to questions about remarks he made during an ESPN session with Jim Gray in which he said it would be "a dream come true" to play for the Warriors in his native Oakland, Calif.

"Jim Gray asked me and I answered," said Kidd, who wore an Oakland A's baseball cap backward during the interview. "He said most professional athletes, if they had an opportunity, would like to go back home. So I said, 'I know I'll get in trouble, but as a kid growing up, to play where it all started, why wouldn't I?'

Soon-to-be-former Gopher Rick Rickert had his first NBA workout Monday with the Golden State Warriors in Oakland, Calif.

"I felt it went well, although I didn't shoot my best, in my opinion," Rickert said on his way back to a strength and conditioning camp he is attending in Bradenton, Fla. "They wanted to see how the full-court game was with the dribble; I did a lot of ball-handling."

Rickert, who said there is no chance he'll return for his junior season at Minnesota, is 6 feet 10. He weighed 225 pounds Monday, 10 pounds more than he weighed his last day with the Gophers this spring.