The Warriors dislike losing, but they abhor mediocrity. That explains why, when Stephen Curry underwent surgery early last month on a broken bone in his left hand, many in Golden State’s front office were more relieved than sad.

With Curry out until at least February, the Warriors have sidestepped basketball purgatory — good enough to perhaps reach the playoffs, but probably not escape the first round — as they go all-in on their youth movement. The big prize for this losing is something Golden State hasn’t had in seven years: a lottery pick.

Regardless of whether the Warriors use the selection on a potential franchise player or as trade bait, they see it as an important asset. As one league source told The Chronicle, “A top 4 or 5 pick would give ... a chance to dial this thing back up next year and contend for another four or five years.”

That is, if the Warriors maximize the selection. As Golden State tries to get its first winning streak of the season with a victory over Minnesota at Chase Center on Monday night, the front office is busy evaluating a 2020 draft class that, though low on instant difference-makers, is considered relatively deep.

“I don’t think there’s anyone in this draft who is a generational talent like Zion (Williamson) was,” said Aran Smith, founder of nbadraft.net. “But if you do your research, you’ll definitely find plenty of value.”

At 6-24, the Warriors are tied with Atlanta for the NBA’s worst record. Given that Golden State owns easily the NBA’s toughest schedule the rest of the way, it is well positioned to finish with a bottom-three win total, which would ensure a 14% shot at the No. 1 pick.

Tankathon.com, which calculates teams’ current lottery chances, gives the Warriors 14% odds at the No. 1 pick in June’s draft, 13.4% odds at the No. 2 pick, 12.7% odds at the No. 3 pick, 12% odds at the No. 4 pick, 27.8% odds at the No. 5 pick and 20% odds at the No. 6 pick. If Golden State finishes the season with ownership of the league’s worst record, it can’t select worse than fifth.

At that stage of the draft, the Warriors would want someone they could groom into taking over as a face of the franchise once Curry (31), Klay Thompson (29) and Draymond Green (29) decline or retire. What makes things tricky for Golden State is that, unlike Williamson in June, the 2020 draft has no surefire prospects.

Three players currently in the mix for the No. 1 pick — Georgia guard Anthony Edwards, former Memphis center James Wiseman and guard LaMelo Bell of the Australian National Basketball League’s Illawarra Hawks — are 18 and might require a season or two before they’re ready to help lead an NBA team.

Curry, Thompson and Green will take immediate pressure off whomever Golden State drafts, but there is no guarantee that Edwards, Wiseman or Ball — each of whom has significant flaws — will become more than serviceable rotation players. It only makes the evaluation process tougher that Ball is out indefinitely with a leg injury and Wiseman, who was serving an NCAA-mandated suspension, withdrew from school this week to begin preparing for the draft.

“It’s so hard to make the right decision with all the right information at your disposal,” said an NBA executive, who spoke under the condition of anonymity. “But when guys don’t play, and they’re a freshman or international player, you just don’t really have a lot of information to go off of.”

The Warriors aren’t infatuated with anyone projected to go within the first couple of selections, a league source told The Chronicle. One player who could intrigue Golden State is Dayton forward Obi Toppin, who, like Murray State’s Ja Morant last year, has used a torrid start to his sophomore season to emerge as a potential top-5 pick. At 6-foot-9, 220 pounds, Toppin is a strong, versatile big man who can hit open jumpers, throw down highlight-worthy dunks, defend multiple positions and dive for loose balls.

The top of the 2020 draft is guard heavy, which isn’t ideal for a Golden State team that boasts Curry, Thompson and D’Angelo Russell. But general manager Bob Myers subscribes to the philosophy of drafting the best player available, not the one who fits a positional need. That is even more paramount when selecting in the draft’s first handful of picks.

When the Warriors took Curry seventh in 2009, many skeptics — including some Warriors — questioned whether the ball-dominant Curry could play alongside Monta Ellis. Now, with Curry entrenched as the greatest shooter in NBA history and Ellis two years into retirement, it’s clear that those concerns missed the point. Drafting in the lottery is a long-term investment.

There is a belief throughout the league that, if the Warriors decide they don’t love anyone available, they’d be open to trading the pick. As one league source put it, they “won’t close any doors.”

The last time Golden State picked in the lottery, it took Harrison Barnes seventh in 2012. Since that draft, the Warriors have drafted six players, all selected 28th or later.

“It gets difficult when you’ve got a veteran team, and you’re picking late in the first round,” head coach Steve Kerr said. “We have a lot of guys who’ve played very well despite being drafted lower, but I think it will be nice to have a high pick.”

Connor Letourneau is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: cletourneau@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Con_Chron