The Warriors can’t mess this up.
They have the 11th pick in the NBA draft, and that’s their clearest path toward improving.
Not a trade. Not star chasing. Not rolling the dice on what may or may not happen.
The good old draft is going to be their key to trying to build a contender around Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green, who had shown glimmers of being really good together before Butler suffered a torn ACL in January.
The Warriors have gone from being the league’s blueprint to now trying to cling to relevancy as young juggernauts have taken over the spotlight, such as the Spurs and Thunder.
Golden State won four championships in eight years from 2015-2022, but the league has since sprinted past them. Over the last four years, they’ve missed the playoffs twice and haven’t gotten past the second round of the playoffs.
The Warriors need to get younger. They need a versatile big wing or an elite center. They need someone who is good enough to contribute immediately.
Curry is turning 39 next season. Green and Butler are turning 37. The team’s window is quickly closing, and the draft is their best way to prop it open long enough to give themselves a chance.
In recent years, the Warriors have had mixed results with the draft.
Most notably, Jordan Poole (No. 28 in the 2019 draft) was widely viewed as a success, playing a crucial role in their 2022 championship run, but James Wiseman (No. 2 in 2020) and Jonathan Kuminga (No. 7 in 2021) were ultimately considered disappointments.
Wiseman couldn’t stay healthy and had way too steep of a development curve. Kuminga wanted to be a star, but the Warriors needed him to star in his role, leading to a fallout.
Even with Poole, things eventually crumbled. Poole and Green infamously had a run-in before the 2022-23 season, and after struggling with efficiency, the combo guard was traded in July 2023.
Mike Dunleavy Jr. took over as general manager for longtime executive Bob Myers in June 2023. He needs to get this pick right, especially considering Butler and Moses Moody are going to miss the beginning of the season due to injuries.
Dunleavy was behind the Warriors selecting Brandin Podziemski in 2023 at No. 19, Quinten Post in 2024 at No. 52 and Koby Brea in 2025 at No. 41. This by far is his biggest opportunity yet to make a splash.
Whomever he picks will have a chance to contribute right away. And the Warriors need him to be a difference-maker.
This year’s draft class is deep.
Someone like the 6-foot-9, 23-year-old Yaxel Lendeborg from Michigan could be interesting. Or 6-foot-10 Nate Ament from Tennessee. Or the two-way talents of Brayden Burries from Arizona.
There are lots of potential young stars. There are guys who could maybe even alter franchises. If the Warriors want to give Curry a chance to earn his fifth ring, they need to find a diamond in the rough at No. 11.
The Warriors have made it clear they’re still all in on winning now.
They made a blockbuster trade for Butler in February 2025 and went on to close out the season 23-8. If Curry hadn’t suffered a hamstring injury in the second round of the playoffs against the Timberwolves, they might have even had a deep postseason run.
But this past season was a disaster.
The Warriors had a turbulent start. Just when it seemed as though things were turning around, they lost Butler to injury. Then Curry went on to miss 27 straight games because of a balky knee.
The Warriors still believe if everyone is healthy on their roster, they could make noise in the playoffs. They still believe in themselves. If they could put the right pieces around their stars, they could be formidable come playoff time.
It’s no secret they’re likely going to go after a splashy star this offseason, such as Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kawhi Leonard or LeBron James. But the Warriors already tried that plan, putting their four first-round picks on the line to try to acquire Antetokounmpo at the February trade deadline, but the Bucks weren’t interested.
The Warriors can’t rely on star chasing. They need to turn to the draft to plug their holes.
The Warriors need to infuse their roster with fresh legs. They need to find someone who has the maturity to play alongside Curry, Green and Butler. They need to pour energy into developing someone.
It’s clear that the Warriors’ goal is to give Curry the opportunity to close his career playing meaningful basketball.
The draft is their best chance of doing so.
Their No. 11 pick is of No. 1 importance.