We got our first bit of clarity on the future of the Golden State Warriors this weekend when it was announced that coach Steve Kerr would be returning to the franchise that he led to four NBA championships. That’s good news for that portion of fans who wanted to see Kerr, Steph Curry and forward Draymond Green do what they can to finish out their Hall of Fame runs together with a bit of dignity–by being as competitive as possible and hoping to make whatever postseason runs might present themselves.
Part of doing that, though, is trying to get as many win-now pieces as the team can muster. And that could mean putting one of their top current assets–the No. 11 pick in this year’s draft–into a trade package to try to land an established veteran. And there’s logic in doing that, since the Warriors won’t be looking to develop a young player next year.
But there is not likely to be enough logic to justify that kind of move, as other NBA executives see it.
Warriors Need Cheap Players in the NBA Draft
When looking at the Warriors, the challenge the team has is getting more athletic in addition to simply getting better. And there is plenty of athleticism in this year’s draft. In our Mock Draft, we have the Warriors going with polished 23-year-old prospect Yaxel Lendeborg, but even if they do not take him, the draft will present the Warriors a better and more efficient means of adding a useful difference-maker for 2026.
Efficient as in cost-effective–the Warriors are an expensive bunch, and if they can get a Top 11 talent at a rookie scale salary, they can’t afford to give that away.
“I’ve not heard anything like they want to shop that pick,” one Western Conference GM said. “You wouldn’t start doing that now, necessarily, anyway. But they want to have youth be part of that mix, and with the contracts they have already, they need that cheap labor.”
NBA Draft has Win-Now Prospects
The Warriors’ No. 11 pick would get a four-year contract in the range of $28 million, starting at about $6 million per year. The goal for the Warriors is not to package that up and ship it out–the goal is to get a player who can come in, add some youth and athleticism, and produce immediately. That might be Lendeborg, it might be NBL wildcard Karim Lopez, it might be a big man like Aday Mara or Jayden Quaintance.
“This draft is different, this is the first draft where you are really seeing the effect of the NIL stuff in college, with guys going back to big paychecks, and not coming to us (the NBA) until they’re older and more polished,” an East exec said. “The Warriors can get a guy who can contribute right now and still be cheap asset going forward.”
Warriors Will Still Pursue Top Trade Targets
The Warriors will still be in the market for trades in the coming weeks, and there is a chance that if a player can come aboard but only if the Warriors trade No. 11, of course they would weigh that. Maybe they’d drop No. 11 if it meant Giannis Antetokounmpo or Kawhi Leonard.
But the Warriors’ plan appears to be to use the No. 11 pick this year, and trade off players in packages with future draft picks–but not this one.
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