The NBA Draft Lottery didn't necessarily break the Golden State Warriors' way.
Even at 11th overall, they still had a 9.4% chance of moving into the top-four. In a draft with talents such as AJ Dybantsa, Cam Boozer, Darryn Peterson, and Caleb Wilson at the top, that obviously would've been the best-case outcome for the Warriors.
But staying put at 11th overall isn't all that bad. This is a deep draft class, and Golden State should have many paths toward adding a talent who can make an immediate impact on their roster. With Steve Kerr sticking around for the next two seasons, it's quite possible the Warriors seek out that sort of polished, immediate contributor that will be available in their draft range anyways.
Yaxel Lendeborg out of Michigan is the prime example of this type of prospect. He's got the polished rebounding and scoring skill-set to slot immediately into the Warriors' frontcourt, and there's a real chance that, despite his age, there's still room for him to take another major leap.
In keeping the Oklahoma City Thunder (who should also have serious interest in Lendeborg) below them in the draft order, therefore, the Draft Lottery actually delivered the Warriors a sneaky gift.
Thunder are the Warriors' greatest threat to landing Yaxel Lendeborg
Let's start by making the case for why Golden State should have interest in Lendeborg.
After spending three years at junior college and two seasons at the University of Alabama-Birmingham, Lendeborg was a breakout star for the Wolverines this season, averaging 15.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 3.2 assists while shooting 51.5% from the field. He doesn't necessarily have upside as a top scoring option, but he's a versatile connecting piece on both ends of the court with the potential to be a long-term starter in the frontcourt.
With Jimmy Butler out indefinitely, the Warriors only have two true frontcourt pieces currently healthy— Draymond Green and Gui Santos.
The Thunder should have interest in Lendeborg for a number of the same reasons. Their past two first-round picks have missed the entirety of their rookie seasons, and they have financial restrictions kicking in this offseason that will leave them in need of some additional depth.
If a prospect as polished as Lendeborg is available when either of these two teams are on the clock, it should be almost a no-brainer.
It's not as though the Thunder would have used a top-four pick on the Michigan product. But if they had moved into the top-four, might they have tried to trade down and still land an immediate contributor at a lower draft slot?
Currently, though, the Warriors still stand in the Thunder's way of landing Lendeborg, and a quick look at the teams slightly above their draft range doesn't yield any major dangers either. The Milwaukee Bucks will be trying to get younger if they're forced to move on from Giannis Antetokounmpo, and the Dallas Mavericks and the Atlanta Hawks already have their future frontcourt stars on their rosters.
Golden State may not have had the luck they wanted in the lottery, therefore, but they're still in prime position to land their ideal prospect in this year's draft.
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