Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg dunks against St. Louis during the first half in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on March 21 in Buffalo, N.Y.
Yuki Iwamura/Associated Press
The clearest pathway for the Golden State Warriors, bound to lucrative contracts for their veteran players, to upgrade their roster isn’t by trade or free agency. The clearest pathway for improvement next season is the silver lining of their subpar season.
And that’s the No. 11 overall pick next month in the NBA draft.
The Warriors stand to add a starter or rotational contributor via the draft, topped by a class of (potential) franchise changers and deepened in the lottery with promise and potential. With the 11th pick, they stand to add talent while also addressing their gaggle of needs: youth, positional size, ballhandling and athleticism.
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Said Golden State general manager Mike Dunleavy during his season-ending news conference: “I’m confident we can get a good player, and hopefully that player will have an opportunity next year to perform. Produce. Help us. Given the state of the injuries with Jimmy (Butler) and Moses (Moody), my guess is they’re going to have more of an opportunity than maybe in another year, so that will be there. Again, the most important thing is just the long-term development, so make sure we get that right.”
Here are five prospective fits for the pick:
Nate Ament, Tennessee
The Volunteers frosh stands 6-foot-10 with a wiry wingspan of 6-11, positional versatility and a penchant for getting to the free-throw line. As a featured scorer at Tennessee, he averaged 7.1 free-throw attempts this past season en route to 16.7 points per game, second behind teammate Ja’Kobi Gillespie.
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At 19 and weighing 207 pounds, Ament stands to fill out his frame — as to not get muscled around by smaller, stronger defenders and to better impose his length on defense — and sharpen his shooting from 3-point range. His 33.3% clip from deep informed 39.9% field-goal shooting.
Brayden Burries, Arizona
A sturdy freshman who can handle and shoot standing 6-4 and weighing 205 — with a 6-6 wingspan — Burries brings a blend of ballhandling, strength and spacing as a scoring guard. He shot 39.1% from 3-point range this past season, logging 16.1 points as the team’s leading scorer — effectively attacking from all three levels while using his build to his advantage.
Defensively he’s versatile, guarding across the perimeter and attacking the glass on defense and offense as a plug-and-play fit who turns 21 before the season begins.
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Yaxel Lendeborg, Michigan
The senior forward showcased his skill for the national champion Wolverines as a scorer, rebounder, facilitator and defender with the size to slot across the rotation. At 23, he’s rotation ready, standing 6-9 and 240 pounds with a wingspan a touch above 7-3.
He’ll make a jumper, drop a dime, finish at the basket and battle for a rebound — averaging 15.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.2 blocks and 1.2 steals last season. Yes, he skews on the older side, but he’s polished and experienced with the physical traits, skill and feel to make an instant two-way impact.
Karim Lopez, Mexico
Lopez steeled his skill and feel the past two years in Australia’s NBL, where he played for the New Zealand Breakers and averaged 11.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.2 steals this season. Having turned 19 early last month — and measuring 6-9 and 225 pounds with a 7-1 wingspan — Lopez also played professionally for a season in Spain and comes stateside with proven potential.
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He stands to grow as a 3-point shooter (31.8% the past two years on low volume) as well as an on-ball and team defender, but he checks the boxes for physical tools and offensive feel with runway to develop.
Aday Mara, Michigan
Buried for two years on UCLA’s bench, Mara broke out for the Wolverines as a 7-3 scorer and rim protector (12.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 2.6 blocks), who helped key Michigan’s national title. A traditional big man in the Andrew Bogut mold, Mara can finish above the rim, score with touch and organize offense with pinpoint passes by the top of the key.
At 21 and 260 pounds with a 7-6 wingspan, he’s best defensively by the basket and could struggle switching onto guards or wings. But his size, length, knowhow and toughness have very likely helped him become lottery bound.