Assessing the Warriors' Biggest Needs at the 2026 NBA Draft

Golden State is entering its most pivotal offseason in franchise history, and it starts with the NBA Draft.

Jan 5, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) and forward Draymond Green (23) react against the LA Clippers in the second half at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

No offseason in the Golden State Warriors' history is more important than this one. They know they can't remain in this position forever, having fallen far from where they once were: a dynasty.

The Warriors could get younger and push toward a rebuild, or go all in to get back to title contention. In any case, the 2026 NBA Draft has major implications for their rotation with the 11th overall pick.

Golden State has been trying to give Stephen Curry the proper help since his last championship run in 2022, but the first full season of the Jimmy Butler experiment ended early due to injury, and Draymond Green's $27.7 million player option is up in the air.

Entering the draft, the Warriors have clear needs, and they can land a win-now piece in a loaded draft class. What are those needs?

Center Depth

The most glaring weakness is at the center position. Golden State tried to mitigate that issue by trading for Kristaps Porzingis at the deadline, but that clearly hasn't been enough, with his health still being a lingering factor. Al Horford was a nice pickup last summer, but he'll be 40 years old entering next season.

The Warriors need youth at the five, and drafting a center would give them a heightened rotation with Porzingis at the four and Green at the small forward position.

The big name to watch is Aday Mara, the 7-foot-3 junior from Michigan. He averaged 12.1 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game en route to a national championship, and could be the perfect center to play paint anchor and run the pick-and-roll on offense.

If the Warriors want a more versatile option in the frontcourt, Hannes Steinbach can stretch the floor as a 6-foot-11 big man, having averaged 18.5 points, 11.8 rebounds and 1.2 blocks this past season. The German doesn't have the same defensive presence as Mara, but can give more on offense.

Wing Scoring

Butler will return from his ACL tear next season, but it's unclear when. He suffered that injury in February, which puts his return date in a weird spot.

Nevertheless, the Warriors need to get scoring help from the wing because Brandin Podziekmski and Gui Santos aren't cutting it. Whether it's the shooting guard or small forward position, Curry is extremely limited with the entire defense focused on stopping him on and off the ball.

At No. 11, there are a few wing scorers who could be available. Nate Ament (Tennessee) is a 6-foot-10, long perimeter player with a decent handle. If Golden State wants more experience, Yaxel Lendeborg has a do-it-all upside at 23 years old. He could be a two-way force with immediate impact.