{"id":740802,"date":"2026-06-16T19:48:10","date_gmt":"2026-06-16T19:48:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/740802\/"},"modified":"2026-06-16T19:48:10","modified_gmt":"2026-06-16T19:48:10","slug":"warriors-top-10-prospects-for-the-2026-nba-draft","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/740802\/","title":{"rendered":"Warriors’ Top 10 Prospects for the 2026 NBA Draft"},"content":{"rendered":"

The 2026 NBA draft is a week away, and the Golden State Warriors are likely finalizing their big board to strategize about what they should do with the 11th pick. <\/p>\n

The most likely scenario is they stand pat and take their highest-ranked prospect in that spot. <\/p>\n

But if they really like two prospects, they could try to acquire a second first-round pick by either trading down or trading future draft capital. <\/p>\n

Below are the Warriors’ top 10 prospects of the 2026 draft. <\/p>\n

Prospects Not Considered for Warriors’ Board<\/p>\n

SF AJ Dybantsa, BYU
G Darryn Petersen, Kansas
PF Cam Boozer, Duke
PF Caleb Wilson, UNC
PG Keaton Wagler, Illinois
PG Darius Acuff Jr., Arkansas
PG Mikel Brown Jr., Louisville
PG Kingston Flemings, Houston<\/p>\n

By. many accounts, these are the top eight prospects. Trading up for any of the top four would be too expensive for the Warriors to seriously consider. Trading up for any of the point guards might be doable, but it would not be worth the cost to trade up. <\/p>\n

Wagler, Acuff, Brown and Flemings have enough weaknesses that standing pat is the best choice. <\/p>\n

If one of them fell to the Warriors at 11, they would be seriously considered for the pick. But I don’t see any of them falling. Every team picking from 5 to 10 could take a point guard, so they will all go in that six-pick range. <\/p>\n

Warriors’ Top 10<\/p>\n

1. SF\/PF Yaxel Lendeborg, Michigan<\/p>\n

Lendeborg would have a bigger immediate role than any other prospect the Warriors could realistically get in this year’s draft. The Warriors have lots of minutes available at the 3 and 4 when Gui Santos and Draymond Green are sitting.<\/p>\n

With his combination of size (6’8.75″ and 241 lbs), shooting, passing and defense, Lendeborg is capable of playing the 3 and 4.<\/p>\n

The big question with Lendeborg is, what’s the ceiling for a 23-year-old who never truly dominated the college game? Lendeborg had a great all-around season for Michigan, but it’s fair to question how other prospects in this class would fare in college as 23 years old. Certainly some of them would average far more than 15.1 points per game. <\/p>\n

As long as the Warriors are comfortable with a high-end role player, Lendeborg would be a great pick. <\/p>\n

2. SG Brayden Burries, Arizona<\/p>\n

Burries (6’3.75″, 215 lbs) is a prototypical 2-guard prospect. His three-point shot looks silky smooth, and he has enough strength and athleticism to defend 2s and 3s. <\/p>\n

There isn’t an obvious weakness in Burries’ game. You just wish that he had a higher ceiling. <\/p>\n

To be sure, he’s good enough to be secondary ball-handler who occasionally gets points in the paint. But he doesn’t project as a primary ball-handler or a feared three-level scorer. <\/p>\n

3. C Aday Mara, Michigan<\/p>\n

I’ve compared<\/a> Mara to Andrew Bogut because both showed passing and shot-blocking prowess in college. <\/p>\n

But I should clarify that Bogut was a better prospect for a variety of reasons. <\/p>\n

Nonetheless, Mara could have a Bogut-lite impact on the Warriors as an offensive hub in the high post. <\/p>\n

Defensively, Mara may struggle to guard when switched onto ball-handlers on the perimeter. <\/p>\n

And the Warriors have been intentional about surrounding Green with stretch-5s over the last two years. Mara is not one. <\/p>\n

Still, I could see the Warriors changing their approach for a 7’3″ center who could open up offensive avenues Steve Kerr would want to explore. <\/p>\n

4. SG\/SF Cameron Carr, Baylor<\/p>\n

Carr didn’t play much as a freshman at Tennessee before getting injured early in his second season. He decided to transfer to Baylor in the middle of the season, which forced him to sit out the rest of the campaign. <\/p>\n

He broke out in his third year with an impressive stat line of 18.9 points, 2.3 three-pointers and 1.3 blocks per game. <\/p>\n

With that said, there are questions about his defense and offensive decision-making.<\/p>\n

Despite already being 21 years old, I suspect he won’t be ready to provide positive impact immediately. But his combination of size (6’4.5″), length (7’0.75″ wingspan) and athleticism (42.5″ vertical) are tantalizing enough that he could go in the lottery. <\/p>\n

5. PG Labaron Philon Jr., Alabama<\/p>\n

I wrote here<\/a> that the Warriors don’t seem to be targeting a point guard in the draft. That means they wouldn’t select Philon at 11.<\/p>\n

But if they trade down or get a second first-round pick, Philon would be a great value. <\/p>\n

What’s holding him back most is a height (6’2.5″) and weight (176 lbs) combination that will make him a target for opposing offenses. And the fact that he had just a 35-inch vertical leap is not ideal for his chances to be a high-end finisher. <\/p>\n

But, man, his handle and shot are already advanced enough that it’s hard to see him not being a plus scorer in the NBA. <\/p>\n

6. PG Ebuka Okorie, Stanford<\/p>\n

Okorie is similar to Philon in that he’s skilled enough to help a team on offense right now, but his size (6’1.25″) could keep him from being a lottery pick. <\/p>\n

Okorie is unstoppable to stay in front of. He’ll get into the paint at will in the NBA. <\/p>\n

If he improves his three-point shot (35.7% in his one season at Stanford), there’s no telling how dominant he’ll be on the offensive end. <\/p>\n

But there’s no getting around that his size will be hard to scheme around on defense. <\/p>\n

7. SF Karim Lopez, New Zealand Breakers<\/p>\n

At 6’8.25″, Lopez is a huge small forward prospect. He’s one of the biggets projects of the class, as he’s just 19 years old.<\/p>\n

His three-point stroke looks decent, but he made just 32.6 percent of his threes last season. <\/p>\n

He has playmaking flashes, but his 2.0-1.5 assist-to-turnover ratio is just OK. <\/p>\n

If it all comes together, he’d be a great value at 11. But the Warriors could be looking for more of an immediately impactful player with so much playing time available after the Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody knee injuries. <\/p>\n

8. SF Nate Ament, Tennessee<\/p>\n

Ament is another small forward project who feels even less likely to hit than Lopez. <\/p>\n

But at some point, it’s hard to pass on a 6’9.5″ 19-year-old who projects to be a good shooter in the NBA. <\/p>\n

Ament doesn’t have the explosiveness, handle or strength to be an efficient NBA scorer, but a team that is patient with his development could see major rewards in a couple of years. <\/p>\n

9. PF\/C Morez Johnson Jr., Michigan<\/p>\n

Johnson has the size and athleticism to be an impactful defensive player, but his offensive profile doesn’t offer much. <\/p>\n

I’d argue Charles Bassey gives everything Johnson does on offense, and Bassey can be had for a minimum contract. <\/p>\n

If Johnson’s three-point shot develops, that would make his offense more valuable. But I have my doubts about Johnson being a plus three-point shooter. <\/p>\n

10. C Hannes Steinbach, Washington<\/p>\n

Steinbach’s feel for scoring around the rim would fit well in just about every NBA offense. <\/p>\n

The biggest question is will his three-point shot develop? He made 34.0 percent in his one season at Washington. <\/p>\n

Aside from that, Steinbach blocked just 1.2 shots per game. He’s not a super-athletic prospect, which makes me question his ceiling. <\/p>\n

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