The Golden State Warriors have a lot of options ahead of them when it comes to the 2026 NBA Draft as they're picking at 11th-overall and should have a wealth of options ahead of them to pick up an impact player. 

Because of the opportunity ahead of them and the pressing need for the Warriors to turn their team around quickly to capitalize on the final years of Steph Curry's career means that the Warriors need to be careful about who exactly they use their precious pick on. 

Naturally, the Warriors have been doing their due diligence on many of the prospects that may be ahead of them, but according to a recent report from ClutchPoints there may be at least one prospect that the Warriors may have been interested in at one point may no longer be among their top priorities. 

“Another name commonly mentioned for the Warriors in this spot is Karim Lopez, but multiple personnel have told ClutchPoints that the hype surrounding him in this spot has been a little blown up. Lopez could realistically go anywhere from 10-to-22 in the draft, but word right now regarding him and the Warriors is that he is not as high on their list as others.”

Lopez is a 19-year-old forward from Mexico who has had modest international career, first playing one season with Joventut in Liga ACB in Spain before the playing the last two seasons with the New Zealand Breakers of the NBL.

In three professional seasons, he's averaged 10.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game and while he presents a lot of defensive upside, especially being tested in the often more-defensive minded international game, it seems that now based on ClutchPoints' report that the Warriors feel like there could be a better option available just outside of the top-10. 

Their interest in him in the first place does at least reveal something of the Warriors' mentality heading into the draft. While they have many issues on the roster that need to be addressed, chief among those concerns are in regard to their forwards. 

With Jonathan Kuminga traded away Golden State doesn't have a truly elite forward to carry the torch for the next generation of the team and add both size and versatility to the court. 

Draymond Green, like Curry, won't be around forever and the Warriors need to make preparations sooner rather than later on what their team will look like in the future.

Acquiring a forward in the draft now makes sense, it just might not be Lopez.