5 Prospects Warriors Should Target With No. 11 Pick (And One They Shouldn't)

The Golden State Warriors won't have to trade up from the 11th pick of the 2026 NBA draft to land a quality prospect.

I'd argue no matter how the first 10 picks shake out, the Warriors will have multiple options with high-end starter potential.

Let's go over five prospects they should target, and then we'll finish this off with one they shouldn't.

PF Yaxel Lendeborg, Michigan

Lendeborg is my latest mock draft selection for the Warriors. He would have the biggest immediate impact, which is valuable for a team that is trying to contend.

The only hesitation with taking him is his age.

Lendeborg is already 23 years old. There are plenty of examples of older prospects struggling in the NBA. One recent example is Chris Duarte, who had just turned 24 when he was the 13th pick of the 2021 draft. He actually had a quality rookie season, but his NBA career fizzled out from there.

There are reasons to believe Lendeborg is not the next Duarte.

The main reason is Lendeborg has no size/athleticism limitations. At 6'8.75" and 241 pounds with a 7'3.25" wingspan, Lendeborg is strong and lengthy, and he showed with his steals and blocks numbers over the last three seasons that he's plenty athletic.

Lendeborg has more defensive versatility than just about any prospect in this class. He spent two seasons as a big man at UAB before showing wing skills in his one season at Michigan.

He's also a good passer, as he averaged 3.7 assists and just 1.6 turnovers over his final two seasons.

Aside from concerns about his age, the one big issue is his lack of offensive-creation skills for a team that needs them. But he does so many other things well that the Warriors would be wise to take him.

PG Labaron Philon Jr., Alabama

It feels inevitable that one of the prized point guards of this draft class will fall to the 11th pick.

It's looking more and more like Philon will be the one to drop.

From a production perspective, Philon deserves to be in the top 10. He averaged 22.0 points on 50.1 percent from the field and 39.9 percent from three as well as 5.0 assists as a sophomore.

What could hold some teams back are his small frame (6'2.5", 176 lbs) and decent-but-not-oustanding athleticism.

I've argued that Philon has some Jordan Poole to his game. The Warriors need someone like that badly.

C Aday Mara, Michigan

I'll admit I didn't go into this draft season with any serious thought that the Warriors would take a center with their pick. Their need for a big wing like Lendeborg and a ball-handling threat like Philon was too glaring.

But the last two days have increased the odds that Mara gets selected by Golden State.

Mara measured in at 7'3" without shoes with a 7'6" wingspan. That is the type of length that just about guarantees major rim-protecting impact.

He looked more agile than expected in the pro lane agility drill. He made 12 of 25 threes in the spot-up shooting drill.

I have no doubt that the Warriors will heavily consider him. The bigger question is will he even be there at No. 11?

It seems like he'll land somewhere in the top 10.

SG/SF Cameron Carr, Baylor

On Monday, I wrote about how Carr is rising after his wingspan measured at 7'0.75". That wingspan gives him a higher ceiling on both ends of the floor, but especially on defense.

Then Carr showed how athletic he is with a 42.5-inch vertical leap on Tuesday.

It wasn't like Carr had no chance to go in the top 15 before the combine. The 21-year-old averaged 18.9 points on 49.4 percent shooting and 37.4 percent from three as a junior.

But now he feels like a lottery lock.

SG Brayden Burries, Arizona

Burries might be the best prospect on this list when you consider age (20), college production and combine performance.

Any concerns about his athleticism were put to bed as he had a 38.5-inch vertical leap. And to no one's surprise, he looked great in shooting drills.

The issue for the Warriors is Burries' height (6'3.75") and wingspan (6'6") will make it difficult for him to guard 3s. He'd be somewhat repetitive with Brandin Podziemski and Will Richard.

But he's too talented not to consider at 11.

One Prospect They Shouldn't Target: SF Nate Ament, Tennessee

At 6'9.5" with iso-scoring skills, Ament has the potential to be the next great wing scorer in the NBA.

But he also has some bust potential.

The 19-year-old averaged 16.7 points per game in his freshman season, but he was inefficient, making just 39.9 percent of his field goals and 33.3 percent of his threes.

Ament is one of the biggest projects in the draft. The Warriors have to be open to some type of developmental curve with whoever they pick at 11, but they should pass on players like Ament who might need years of development before being playable in a playoff setting.

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