3 Sleeper Picks the Warriors Could Make in the NBA Draft

The Golden State Warriors have been heavily connected to a number of first-round prospects, so there aren't many sleeper candidates for them.

But I have picked three here who have gotten little to no buzz throughout the process.

All of them might be available in the mid-to-late teens, so if the Warriors can trade down, they should.

PG Ebuka Okorie, Stanford

I continue to be confused as to why Okorie is often selected in the 20s of mock drafts.

As a freshman, he took on one of the biggest playmaking loads of any player in the country, and he performed extremely well considering he was playing without much talent around him in the talent-rich ACC.

His final averages were impressive: 23.2 points, 3.6 assists, 1.9 turnovers.

That last number is phenomenal. No prospect is as good as him at avoiding turnovers, which is a testament to his excellent ball-handling ability.

Okorie made 35.4 percent of his threes, which isn't an amazing number, but keep in mind his teammates rarely created catch-and-shoot looks for him. At his shot difficult, 35.4 percent is pretty good.

Okorie's one defect is his height. He's just 6'1.25". But he has a 6'7.75" wingspan, and though he has to add strength to his frame (186 lbs), he's stronger than Labaron Philon Jr. (176 lbs).

Philon (6'2.5") is often mocked in the lottery, and to be clear, I like him a lot too. But Okorie is younger, better at driving into the paint, better at avoiding turnovers, stronger and has a 1.5-inch wingspan advantage.

Philon shot the three better than Okorie this past season, but Okorie's three-point percentage was better than Philon's was when he was a freshman.

In summary, I don't understand why Philon is so much higher on media boards than Okorie. Both players will struggle on defense at times due to their height, but Okorie is being punished for it much more.

There's no evidence that the Warriors had a workout with Okorie, but there's a chance they scouted him heavily this season because he played college ball in their backyard and he's secretly been their main target all along.

SF Dailyn Swain, Texas

I've written a lot about Yaxel Lendeborg and Cameron Carr because they have a combination of size and athleticism that could make them disruptive wing defenders.

Swain might fit the bill as well.

He measured 6'6.5" at the combine with a 6'10" wingspan. That's ideal wing size.

He's been lost in the shuffle to some degree because he's not as athletic as Carr or as big as Lendeborg. And Swain made just 34.4 percent of his threes, so he doesn't project as an immediate 3-and-D standout.

But he's already a pretty good slasher, rebounder and passer.

There's been no report that he's worked out with the Warriors, and they appear to have their eyes set on Lendeborg, Carr or Brayden Burries if they go the wing route. But if they trade down or get a second first-roud pick, they should consider Swain.

PG Bennett Stirtz, Iowa

I'm already on record saying Stirtz's athletic limitations would make him a reach at 11, but in the late teens, he would be a solid value.

Apparently the Warriors agree, as ClutchPoints' Brett Siegel wrote that Stirtz is dark-horse Dubs pick candidate, especially if they get a second first-round pick.

Stirtz worked out with the Warriors on Thursday, and it's possible he blew them away with his shooting and passing.

Similar to Okorie, Stirtz had to do just about everything for his team in college, and that surely contributed to his three-point percentage being just 35.8 percent.

If the Warriors take him, they'd be banking on him shooting much better when Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler create open looks for him.

I worry about Stirtz's defense with his 6'2.5", 186-pound frame, but offensively he should make a positive impact immediately.

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