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The Golden State Warriors are going into the draft with unanswered questions: whether or not Steve Kerr will be the coach and whether he wants to incorporate inexperienced players.
The draft isn't until June, but the draft lottery is Mother's Day. The Warriors will know their position in the 2026 NBA Draft beginning Sunday, May 10 at 3 p.m. ET.
Golden State is coming off of a 37-45 season where they were eliminated in the NBA Play-in Tournament by the Phoenix Suns in a game for the No. 8-seed. That game is where questions about Kerr's future emerged, as the end of the season marked the end of his contract.
As the Warriors answer head coaching questions, they must decide the type of player they want to bring in. The Dubs need a ball-handler, playmaker, scorer and an inside presence, namely someone who can be a spark or a glue guy in non-Stephen Curry minutes.
One of the brighter spots from their 2025 NBA draft selections was Will Richard out of Florida. He was scouted a prototypical 3-and-D player, and that's what the Warriors got in the making. Richard was a 56th overall pick by the Memphis Grizzlies later traded to the Warriors on draft night. He averaged 6.4 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.2 steals in 20 minutes per game. His shooting percentages were on 46.8% field goals and 33% 3-point shooting in the 2025-26 season.
The 2026 Warriors are hoping to have similar fortune as the Dallas Mavericks in 2025, who finished 39-43, had a 1.8% to land the No. 1 pick and did, ultimately selecting Cooper Flagg, the 2026 NBA Rookie of the Year.
The Bay Area is praying for the same blessing. They have a similar scenario. And, Bleacher Report had them winning the 2026 lottery in an April mock draft.
The Warriors have 2% chance at landing the No. 1 pick. Very slim, but stranger things have happened. Chances at landing a top-4 pick are better, but still small, at 9.4%.
It's expected the Warriors will likely land a pick between No. 11-14, with No. 14 being the worst-case. Golden State cannot land at No. 5 through No. 10 with less than 1.0% chance at No. 13 or No. 14.
The overwhelming consensus from sports experts is that the Warriors will have the No. 11 pick. Here's who experts' are saying the Warriors would select in their pre-lottery mock drafts:
With the draft lottery on May 10, here are predictions from sports experts in their mock drafts for the the Warriors.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Warriors mock drafts: Expert picks, predictions for Golden State
Continue reading...
The draft isn't until June, but the draft lottery is Mother's Day. The Warriors will know their position in the 2026 NBA Draft beginning Sunday, May 10 at 3 p.m. ET.
Golden State is coming off of a 37-45 season where they were eliminated in the NBA Play-in Tournament by the Phoenix Suns in a game for the No. 8-seed. That game is where questions about Kerr's future emerged, as the end of the season marked the end of his contract.
As the Warriors answer head coaching questions, they must decide the type of player they want to bring in. The Dubs need a ball-handler, playmaker, scorer and an inside presence, namely someone who can be a spark or a glue guy in non-Stephen Curry minutes.
One of the brighter spots from their 2025 NBA draft selections was Will Richard out of Florida. He was scouted a prototypical 3-and-D player, and that's what the Warriors got in the making. Richard was a 56th overall pick by the Memphis Grizzlies later traded to the Warriors on draft night. He averaged 6.4 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.2 steals in 20 minutes per game. His shooting percentages were on 46.8% field goals and 33% 3-point shooting in the 2025-26 season.
The 2026 Warriors are hoping to have similar fortune as the Dallas Mavericks in 2025, who finished 39-43, had a 1.8% to land the No. 1 pick and did, ultimately selecting Cooper Flagg, the 2026 NBA Rookie of the Year.
The Bay Area is praying for the same blessing. They have a similar scenario. And, Bleacher Report had them winning the 2026 lottery in an April mock draft.
The Warriors have 2% chance at landing the No. 1 pick. Very slim, but stranger things have happened. Chances at landing a top-4 pick are better, but still small, at 9.4%.
It's expected the Warriors will likely land a pick between No. 11-14, with No. 14 being the worst-case. Golden State cannot land at No. 5 through No. 10 with less than 1.0% chance at No. 13 or No. 14.
The overwhelming consensus from sports experts is that the Warriors will have the No. 11 pick. Here's who experts' are saying the Warriors would select in their pre-lottery mock drafts:
Golden State Warriors experts' mock draft selections
With the draft lottery on May 10, here are predictions from sports experts in their mock drafts for the the Warriors.
USA TODAY Sports: 11. Labaron Philon, Alabama
CBS Sports: 11. Aday Mara, Michigan
ESPN: 11. Karim Lopez, New Zealand Breakers
Bleacher Report: 11. Yaxel Lendeborg, Michigan
NBAdraft.net: 11. Brayden Burries, Arizona
On3: 11. Aday Mara, Michigan
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Warriors mock drafts: Expert picks, predictions for Golden State
Continue reading...
