Where will the Warriors land?
The Golden State Warriors went 37-45 this season and got bounced from the Play-In Tournament before reaching the playoffs.
Injuries wrecked the roster after January, the defense fell apart, and a team built around Stephen Curry spent most of the year looking like it had no idea what it wanted to be.
The lottery did not help much either.
The Warriors stayed right where they were projected, landing the 11th overall pick in what most consider the deepest draft class in years.
There has been plenty of noise about Golden State potentially trading the pick to chase a win-now move, but keeping it might be smarter than people think.
This roster has real holes, and the talent sitting around pick 11 in this particular draft could plug some of them immediately while also giving the franchise something to grow with once the Curry window closes.
Lendeborg Is the Safest Bet
Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg has been the name most linked to the Warriors on mock draft boards, and honestly it makes sense.
Lendeborg averaged 15.1 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists while shooting 51.5% from the field and 37.2% from three this past season, all while helping lead the Wolverines to a national championship.
He is 23, which scares some people off, but that maturity is actually what makes him appealing for Golden State.
He plays with toughness and passes well for his size, and his three-point shooting has improved every single year.
The Warriors need somebody who can step into the rotation on day one without a long development runway, and Lendeborg fits that better than most guys in this range.
Ament Has the Highest Ceiling
Tennessee freshman Ament came into the year as a projected top-five pick, but his shooting was inconsistent enough that it knocked him down boards.
The talent never stopped being obvious though.
He averaged 16.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 35 games, and at 6-10 with real perimeter ability and defensive instincts he has the tools to be a long-term answer at forward once Draymond Green moves on.
If the shot tightens up at the next level, that is a two-way forward with real scoring upside, and even if it does not, the floor is still a useful rotation player.
Carr Is the Riser to Watch
Cameron Carr went from barely seeing the floor his first two years at Tennessee to averaging 18.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.3 blocks at Baylor while shooting 49.4% from the field and 37.4% from deep.
His combine measurements were wild too, with a 7-foot-7.5 wingspan that had scouts excited about his defensive upside.
He dropped 30 in the combine scrimmage and has been shooting up boards ever since.
If Golden State wants a backcourt piece to develop alongside Curry, Carr might end up being the most interesting option.
In a draft this deep, the Warriors might be better off just keeping the pick and letting a talented player fall to them at 11.