The Golden State Warriors didn't benefit from the luck of the draw in the NBA Draft Lottery on Sunday, and they'll now remain in place as the 11th overall selection in the 2026 NBA Draft.
The advantage is obvious for teams at the top. Although this class is deep as a whole, there's a clearly-defined top four that stand head and shoulders above the rest of the Draft— Cameron Boozer, AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, and Caleb Wilson.
With the Washington Wizards selecting first overall, the predominant thought is that Boozer or Dybantsa will be the first prospect off the board. But Draymond Green, in his usual fashion, has a slightly different take on the situation. On the latest episode of his podcast, The Draymond Green Show, Green made the case for Wilson, who's mostly been outside of the consensus top three, to be taken first overall by the Wizards.
"Who I think would really fit this roster well and who I think is going to be the sleeper and will not be even considered for the No. 1 pick, is Caleb Wilson. I think Caleb Wilson is the most special player in this draft."
Green later justified his argument with a defense of Wilson's perceived lack of athletic refinement.
“I actually think he's a bit clumsy. And imagine being clumsy and as good as he is. And what I mean by clumsy, I don't mean that in a negative way; I mean he's still figuring his body out. " Draymond Green, The Draymond Green Show
While Green's argument has no direct implications for the Warriors, who wouldn't have the chance to select Wilson even if he fell out of the top three, his words also apply to a prospect Golden State should certainly have their eye on at 11th overall— forward Karim Lopez out of the NBL.
Draymond Green's comments easily make room for a parallel between Caleb Wilson and Karim Lopez
Wilson is easily the more talented of the two prospects, and Green makes an interesting case for his potential upside at the NBA level. Across 24 games as a freshman at North Carolina, Wilson averaged 19.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 2.7 assists while shooting 57.8% from the field. He has the explosiveness near the rim and the overall scoring acumen to be a formidable frontcourt presence almost immediately.
Yet, as Green points out, Wilson is 6'10" and is still figuring out how to leverage his size to his advantage. Green's argument for Wilson's upside, therefore, hinges on his ability to become more comfortable as he matures in his game. Whatever team drafts him will need to make a determination on whether they think that's realistic or not.
Golden State could have a similar determination to make with Lopez. Lopez, who is just 19, had excellent measurables at the NBA Scouting Combine, coming in at 6'8.25" and 222 lbs.
There are obvious differences between his game and Wilson's. Lopez projects as more of a 3-and-D archetype, and he has an extremely solid all-around skill-set without some of the athletic pop and scoring potential that Wilson has displayed. But similarly to Wilson, Lopez is relatively raw athletically and will need to develop more comfort in utilizing his size and tools at the NBA level.
Strength is not an issue with Lopez. But he will need to refine his overall athletic skill-set in order to succeed at the NBA level.
At the same time, he averaged 11.9 points on 50.2% shooting against pro-level competition with the New Zealand Breakers. That's an impressive feat in and of itself.
Someone will need to buy in on Wilson for him to break the top-three threshold of the Draft. If the Warriors believe in a similar developmental upside for Lopez, he's a prospect they should be seriously considering.
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