When the Warriors were on the clock for the No. 11 pick in Thursday’s NBA draft, not only was Klay Thompson still available, but also there were other intriguing options. But the Warriors stuck to their plan, plucking the 6-foot-7, 206-pound swingman from Washington State.

“We’ve said before that we like him as a shooter, as an athlete and a basketball player,” Warriors executive vice president of basketball operations Larry Riley said. “He has that NBA skill, and he will develop further skills as we get into working through the first season. This guy has a great future ahead of him.”

The Warriors were almost assured they would be able to draft Thompson when Milwaukee, drafting one slot before Golden State, traded the No. 10 pick.

Most mock drafts had the Bucks taking Thompson. But Sacramento wound up with the 10th pick in a three-team deal that also involved the Bucks and Charlotte Bobcats, and the Kings landed BYU guard Jimmer Fredette.

That cleared the way for the Warriors to take Thompson, the player they had coveted all along.

“Gives me chills just thinking about it,” Thompson said. “Before that trade, I had no idea (where I would land). The Bucks had a lot of interest in me. So I was kind of nervous about it.”

At the same time, the Warriors also had interest in other players. One was Kansas swingman Marcus Morris, who was available.

Then there was San Diego State small forward Kawhi Leonard. An athletic slasher who plays both ends of the court, Leonard was pegged to be a top-five pick at one point. Still, his defensive ability wasn’t enough for the Warriors to take their eyes off Thompson.

“Leonard was not an option,” Riley said. “He was never an option on my list. It’s just probably a difference of opinion with some other people. So no disrespect to Kawhi, but he wasn’t somebody that we had considered for that 11th pick.”

Had the Warriors traded down, Riley said they might have nabbed Leonard or Florida State small forward Chris Singleton. But with Thompson still around, there was no reason to consider moving out of the 11th spot.

Golden State was enamored with Thompson’s outside shooting ability, which was among the best in the draft. The team also likes that he can make plays off the dribble. And the Warriors desperately need offense off the bench, especially if restricted free agent Reggie Williams goes elsewhere.

“He’s shown that he can score,” Riley said of Thompson. “He should be able to play as a rookie and make a contribution to this basketball team.”

Riley said drafting Thompson does not motivate the team to trade star guard Monta Ellis. The plan is for Thompson to come off the bench and play some small forward and shooting guard. If things go according to plan, Thompson will help cut down minutes for Ellis, who led the league at 40.3 minutes per game last season.

“I feel like for my first year or two, I can come off the bench and provide a great scoring punch,” Thompson said. “Score in bunches as well as be a great playmaker. I feel like I swing between three positions well. I feel like I can fit in, be that versatile guard they need off the bench.”

Drafting Thompson, however, will not improve the Warriors’ defense. Thompson’s biggest knock is at that end of the court.

He lacks athleticism compared to other NBA swingmen. But he is tall and long, boasting a 6-foot-9 wingspan. The Warriors hope his length, high basketball IQ and the team’s new defensive scheme will hide some of Thompson’s defensive shortcomings.

“We understand that team defense counts also,” Riley said. “I don’t see him as a lockdown, one-on-one defender coming into the league. But I think he can defend his position.”

In the second round, the Warriors acquired the rights to the 39th pick from Charlotte, which had used the pick on Jeremy Tyler. A 6-foot-10 center, he was formerly one of the nation’s top high school prospects, from San Diego.

But he skipped his senior season of high school to play in Israel. After that didn’t work too well, he played in Tokyo in what would have been his freshman year of college before becoming eligible for the draft.

With their own second-round pick, the Warriors selected Hofstra’s Charles Jenkins, a scoring guard who has the ability to run the point.