The Dallas Mavericks are fully building around Cooper Flagg after his Rookie of the Year campaign, and those plans could be the only thing standing in the way of the Golden State Warriors getting a major draft steal with Brayden Burries.
Burries held a workout with the Warriors on Thursday and in an ideal world, the 6'4" guard would make it all the way to the Warriors' 11th overall pick at next week's NBA draft. However, with a talented front court duo of Flagg and Dereck Lively II, the Mavericks seem an obvious destination to take a combo guard in Burries who appears like a perfect complement to their growing young core.
Mavericks could prevent Warriors from landing Brayden Burries
Burries has been linked with the L.A. Clippers at the fifth overall pick and would make sense in a backcourt with the recently acquired Darius Garland, but that would seem a slight reach for the Arizona product given where he's been projected to go in multiple mock drafts over recent weeks.
Many of those mocks having him going to the Mavericks at nine, with Burries even declining workouts with some teams in the top 10 to ensure he lands at a preferable destination. His workout with the Warriors would suggest he'd be comfortable heading to the Bay Area though, and there's still a chance he slips past the Mavericks depending on how the first eight picks of the draft play out.
Burries was asked about his potential impact and fit with Golden State after the workout on Thursday, pointing to his versatility beyond just his scoring where he averaged 16.1 points on an efficient 49.1% shooting from the floor and 39.1% from 3-point range during his Freshman season.
Brayden Burries on his workout with the Warriors, what he wanted to show them and his potential fit if they draft him:
— Kenzo Fukuda (@kenzofuku) June 18, 2026
“I feel like as soon as I get here, I'll be able to show that impact winning outside of just scoring, you know, defending, rebounding, playmaking.” pic.twitter.com/z7RWgDzgnX
Warriors could make an exception with Brayden Burries
The majority of mock drafts have the Warriors taking a frontcourt player with the 11th pick, and that makes total sense given the players that are likely to be available, combined with the franchise's need for more size and athleticism, particularly in the wake of long-term injuries to Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody.
They could make an exception for Burries though as a backcourt player who could fit next to Stephen Curry almost immedielty, giving them a high-level 3-point shooter who's also flashed the ability to make plays with the ball in his hands.
The Warriors could be getting an absolute steal if Burries falls to them, yet the obvious fit alongside Flagg, and just his own immense talents, suggests it's difficult to envision the 20-year-old getting past the Mavericks.
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