Wearing a Warriors jersey, Michigan State center Carson Cooper warms up Thursday for a pre-draft workout at Chase Center.
Camille Cohen/For the S.F. Chronicle
Former Purdue center Oscar Cluff, from Australia, chats with reporters after a pre-draft workout Thursday at Chase Center.
Camille Cohen/For the S.F. Chronicle
Former Grand Canyon guard Jaden Henley warms up Thursday for a pre-draft workout at Chase Center.
Camille Cohen/For the S.F. Chronicle
Much will be made about how the Golden State Warriors use their 11th overall pick in the 2026 draft on June 23.
Will they use it in a package to acquire a premier player to play alongside Stephen Curry in this era’s final push, or will general manager Mike Dunleavy dig in to the possibilities provided by a draft that is considered especially rife with talent?
They also have an important decision to make with their 54th overall pick in the second round, where they’ve made quality selections in recent years.
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Forward Gui Santos, the 55th pick in 2022 out of Brazil, emerged as a key rotation piece last season and signed an extension in February. Center Quinten Post, 52nd overall in 2024, slotted in nicely as the stretch five until they traded for Kristaps Porzingis. Ryan Rollins, 44th overall in 2022, was traded to the Washington Wizards in the 2024 Jordan Poole trade and landed in Milwaukee, where he had a breakout 2025-26 season, averaging 17.3 points per game.
Over the past two days, the Warriors held pre-draft workouts for 12 players who are projected to go in the second round or be in the mix as an undrafted free agent. Here’s a look at them.
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Oscar Cluff, center, Purdue: Cluff, from Australia, led the Summit League in field-goal percentage (63.4% on 10.8 attempts per game) and rebounds (12.3 per game) his junior year at South Dakota State. He transferred to Purdue his senior year and maintained a 68.3% percentage, but thinks his passing is an underrated trait that would help him fit in with the Warriors’ system.
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“They win games. I win games — I won a lot of games in college,” Cluff said on Thursday. “They have a lot of skilled players, which is perfect for me because I can get people open. I can create space. I know my role.”
Carson Cooper, center, Michigan State: Cooper played four years under Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo and got to know Warriors forward Draymond Green a bit through Green’s involvement with his alma mater. The big man models some of his game after Green, which is the reason he sees himself a fit in Golden State.
“How he played, the way he can impact the game is kind of how I feel I can impact the game a little bit,” Cooper said. “I play hard-nosed defense, get shooters open, give them the ball, work on the (dribble handoffs), facilitate, find cutters and passing and just be a solid player.”
Jaden Henley, guard, Grand Canyon: Henley played four years at four different colleges, Minnesota, DePaul, UNLV and finally Grand Canyon. He averaged 17.7 points per game his senior year, shooting 46.6% from the field. His ability to play off the ball, he said, is something that fits with the Warriors’ style that may not show on the stat sheet.
“I can see a lot of things on the court with my passing ability, also being able to grab a board, push it, play fast and be able to kick ahead,” he said.
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Elias Ralph, forward, Pacific: Ralph started all 66 games he played over two seasons at Pacific and averaged 16.7 points per game his final year.
Jalen Warley, guard, Gonzaga: Warley played his first three college seasons at Florida State before transferring to Gonzaga his senior year. With the Bulldogs he did a little bit of everything, collecting a career high 4.8 rebounds per game and averaging 7.1 points per game.
Trey Campbell, guard, Northern Iowa: Campbell played all four years, starting all but two games. His senior year he averaged 13.7 points, 11.2 shots, 3.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists.
Corey Camper, guard, Nevada: As a graduate student at Nevada, Camper averaged 16.6 points per game shooting 39.9% from 3-point range on 5.2 attempts per game and 53.6% from the field.
Tre Donaldson, guard, Miami: Donaldson bounced from Auburn to Michigan to Miami, where he was named second-team all-ACC last season. His senior year, he averaged 16.4 points and 5.7 assists per game and shot 52.3% from the field.
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Dillon Mitchell, forward, St. John’s: Mitchell averaged 8.3 points, 3 assists and 7 rebounds per game his senior year, with prior stops at Cincinnati and Texas.
Tyler Nickel, forward, Vanderbilt: Nickel had a strong shooting season his senior year with Vanderbilt, pacing 40% on 7.6 3-point attempts per game.
Kobe Knox, guard, South Carolina: Knox averaged 10.8 points per game his senior year, starting all 32 games. He shot 49.1% from the field and corralled 3.6 rebounds per game.
Reese Dixon-Waters, guard, San Diego State: Dixon-Waters transferred from USC to San Diego State during the 2023-24 season. He started all 32 games his senior year, averaging 13.1 points per game.