The Golden State Warriors enter Tuesday night’s NBA Draft with the No. 11 pick and a decision that still cuts both ways. Mike Dunleavy said the team needs everything, and that leaves the selection open to use or trade.
Mike Dunleavy at Chase Center
Dunleavy spoke to reporters inside Chase Center last week and did not try to narrow the board. “Frankly,” he said, “we need everything.” He added, “So we don’t need to be picky about this thing,” and then pushed the idea further: “I think we’ll take whoever we feel is the best player, kind of, for the next — this arc of their prime of their career that they will be coming into shortly.”
He finished the thought by saying, “I think that’s the look on it, and we could use a little bit of everything.” The Warriors also hold the No. 54 pick in the second round, so their draft night is not limited to one swing at roster help.
Yaxel Lendeborg and fit
One name tied to that range is Yaxel Lendeborg. The Michigan big man can shoot from the outside, has the length to help defensively, and helped the Wolverines win a championship in April. He was 24 when the new season was set to start, and he finished a workout with the Warriors this month.
Lendeborg’s case fits the way Dunleavy described the board: not one clean need, but several. If the Warriors keep the pick, the focus shifts to the most talented player available rather than a narrow fit check, and that opens the door to prospects whose value comes from two-way versatility.
2021 lottery context
This is the most anticipation around a Warriors draft since 2021, when the team selected Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody with two lottery picks. The current version comes with more uncertainty, because the choice at No. 11 could become a player for the rotation or part of a package before the night is over.
Stephen Curry is the obvious gravity point for any addition, and Lendeborg said of the idea of playing next to him, “It would be amazing,” before adding, “If you can play, you can play.” That is the simplest read on where the Warriors are headed: keep the pick and add talent, or move it and try to solve more than one problem at once.
