Karim Lopez stays with Warriors at No. 11 in NBA Draft
karim lopez and the Warriors stayed at No. 11 in the NBA Draft Lottery, leaving Golden State set to pick 11th in next month’s NBA Draft. The result keeps the franchise in the middle of a deep class and leaves Mike Dunleavy with a clear decision on whether to use the pick, move it, or package it.
Warriors keep No. 11
Golden State entered the lottery with a 90% chance of either staying at No. 11 or slipping to No. 12, and it landed on the safer end of that range. The Warriors did not move up into the top four, a path some around the team had been eyeing before the lottery.
That leaves Dunleavy to work from the same slot the team held going in, but with the draft board now set. Washington will have the first choice in the 2025-26 NBA Draft, while the Warriors sit at 11th and wait for the board to come to them.
Draft class gives options
This class is described as loaded and deep, with AJ Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer and Darryn Peterson at the top of the board. That matters for a team picking in the late lottery, where the difference between staying put and trading down or up often comes down to how many impact players remain when the Warriors are on the clock.
Among the names mentioned as possible fits is Mikel Brown Jr., a coveted prep star. Tennessee freshman Nate Ament, listed at 6-foot-10, is another late-lottery possibility after an up-and-down freshman year in which his poor shooting season with the Vols could have been a blip instead of the norm.
Golden State’s draft fit
The Warriors have historically tried to pair Steph Curry with a bigger, stouter guard, and the front office has also leaned toward experienced college players who understand how to affect winning without a steep learning curve. That is why Alabama sophomore Labaron Philon stands out in this group: he averaged 22 points and five assists last year while shooting 50% from the field and 40% from deep, and he is listed at 6-foot-4 with a 6-foot-6 wingspan.
There is also Lendeborg, who spent six years in college and walked off by leading Michigan to a national championship. The broader choice for Golden State is straightforward now: hold the No. 11 pick and take a prospect, or use it with other assets in a trade for a proven star.
