SAN FRANCISCO — Mike Dunleavy left no doubt about the Golden State Warriors’ mindset heading into Tuesday’s NBA Draft as he spoke to reporters inside Chase Center recently. He is confident his team can get a good player with the No. 11 pick, sounds optimistic the Warriors will actually use that pick rather than package it in a trade, and is honest in his assessment of the team’s biggest needs.
“Frankly,” the Warriors’ general manager said during a news conference last week, “we need everything.”
Given how much uncertainty hovers around the Warriors’ roster this summer, it was one of the easiest answers Dunleavy has given all year.
There hasn’t been this much anticipation around a draft for the Warriors since 2021, when they selected Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody with two lottery picks. The organization could go in several different directions Tuesday night, but if it keeps the pick, the focus will be on taking the most talented player available.
“So we don’t need to be picky about this thing,” Dunleavy continued. “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. I think that’s the look on it, and we could use a little bit of everything.”
On the surface, the player who fits that description best is Michigan big man Yaxel Lendeborg. He can shoot from the outside, has the length to provide help defensively and helped the Wolverines win a championship in April. He has the winning pedigree the Warriors have looked for over the years, and he possesses the skill set to contribute immediately.
Lendeborg came across well in his meeting with reporters after finishing his workout with the Warriors this month. He showed some personality in his answers and acknowledged the same desire that seemingly every player, young or old, has when asked what it would be like to play next to Warriors star Stephen Curry.
“It would be amazing,” Lendeborg said. “He provides so much gravity on the court that it really makes it super easy for other guys to score, other guys to showcase any ability that they have. I’ve been having so many arguments going against Steph when I was younger with my best friend. If I would be able to play with him it would be kind of funny being on the other end, but I would be very excited to get that opportunity.”
One of the biggest questions surrounding Lendeborg centers on his age. He will be 24 when the new season starts. Whether the Warriors feel comfortable drafting a prospect at that age remains to be seen, but it is a question Lendeborg was ready for during the lead-up to the draft.
“If you can play, you can play,” he said. “A lot of these younger prospects (have) just been in the spotlight a little bit longer than I was, been playing since they were younger, so everybody’s path is different. Every time I get on the court I’m (going to) showcase that. Whether it’s a guy that’s 30, or a guy that’s 18, I’m gonna go out there and show who’s better.”
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Dunleavy acknowledged that no matter who the Warriors take at No. 11, and with the No. 54 pick in the second round, this season offers a different situation from what the organization has had in recent years. With Jimmy Butler (torn ACL) and Moody (ruptured patellar tendon) on track to miss big chunks of time next season as they rehab their respective injuries, an opportunity exists for both draft picks to have an impact right away.
As the Warriors continue to wait for veterans Draymond Green, Al Horford and De’Anthony Melton to decide whether they want to pick up their respective options for next season, Dunleavy and his staff must rework their roster knowing that, right now, they have only four players under contract who will be healthy for training camp.
Aside from Lendeborg, the Warriors worked out a variety of prospects in recent days, including lottery hopefuls Brayden Burries, Hannes Steinbach, Morez Johnson Jr., Karim López, Labaron Philon Jr. and Aday Mara, whom The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie projects to Golden State in his latest mock draft. They’ve done their homework and have their plan in place.
“I think when you have the right process in place, you are thinking about things the right way, and then you go forward and just focus on making a good, sound decision,” Dunleavy said. “I don’t feel any pressure in doing that. It’s the fun part of the job.”
Dunleavy looked as relaxed as he has been in a podium setting in months. He knows the work that lies ahead, and he wears the look of a man who is looking forward to the challenge of putting this team back together again. It’s why Dunleavy meant what he said when he admitted the Warriors could go in any direction Tuesday night. Anything is possible for a team that is looking to build its way back to the top.
