Best-Case and Worst-Case NBA Draft Scenarios for the Warriors

The Golden State Warriors have several roster needs to address this offseason.

That's not just my opinion. It's general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr.'s opinion as well.

"Frankly, we need everything," Dunleavy said a week ago.

Their best asset to improve this offseason is the No. 11 pick of the 2026 draft. They can't afford to miss on this pick. If they draft a quality player, that would be a win.

But is there a way they can exit the draft with two quality players? That's one of the scenarios I lay out below.

Best-Case Scenario: Acquiring a Second 1st-Round Pick

I'm of the opinion that this is a strong draft into the early 20s, and then by the mid-30s it becomes one of the weakest drafts in recent memory.

So if the Warriors can get a second first-round pick, preferably in the late teens to early 20s, they should do it.

All eyes are on the Thunder and Hornets, who both have two first-round picks after the Warriors' selection.

The Thunder (picks 12 and 17) seemingly want to trade up for someone in the top 10, but if they can't get their guy, they will have to decide if rostering two first-round rookies makes sense considering how few roster spots they have.

That's why the Warriors should be rooting for the Thunder to not find a trade partner in the top 10. My guess is OKC will trade the No. 17 pick for a future first if it can't find a trade-up partner. The Warriors should be willing to give up a future first for that pick.

The Hornets (picks 14 and 18) need a center and could trade up for one, but my guess is they'll stay put and take whoever falls to them between Aday Mara, Morez Johnson Jr. and Hannes Steinbach.

But if they deem Mara or Johnson is in a higher tier than the others and he falls out of the top 10, the Warriors would surely accept a trade proposal that involved 14 and 18 for 11 and a future first.

The dream is to end up with one of the following pairs:

Dream 1: Yaxel Lendeborg and Ebuka Okorie
Dream 2: Cameron Carr and Labaron Philon Jr.
Dream 3: Hannes Steinbach and Dailyn Swain

Perhaps the most realistic trade the Warriors could make is giving the Grizzlies 11 for 16 and 32. Though the No. 32 pick is in the second round and outside of the high-end starter potential for this class, a couple of rotation players should still be available at that point.

Worst-Case Scenario: Trading the No. 11 Pick for Anyone Not Named Kawhi or Trey

I've been on record saying this is not the year for the Warriors to go with a project like Nate Ament or Karim Lopez over an immediate-impact player like Lendeborg or Brayden Burries, but even taking Ament or Lopez would be a better move than trading the pick for the wrong veteran.

Among the names they could trade the pick for are Zion Williamson, Domantas Sabonis and Anthony Davis.

The problem with any of these trades is they'd have to deal Jimmy Butler for money-matching purposes, and if you're trading Butler, ideally you'd get a wing back for him.

And if you're not getting a wing back for him, then you have to keep your 2026 first-round pick to draft a wing.

I'm all for wanting the Warriors to make a win-now move to give Stephen Curry some help, but they have to be picky about what that move looks like. This class is too strong to give up the No. 11 pick for a veteran star that isn't a perfect fit.

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