If the Golden State Warriors hang onto their pick at 11th overall in the 2026 NBA Draft, it feels likely they'll be looking to add to their frontcourt in that range.
With both Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody out until at least the middle of next season, the Warriors are in desperate need of size, physciality, and offensive acumen at the three and four-spots. To this point, most of the rhetoric has centered around Yaxel Lendeborg or Aday Mara out of Michigan— two very different but distinctly viable options in that draft range.
In Dalton Johnson's recent piece for NBC Sports Bay Area, in which he outlines a trio of big men who would be solid options for Golden State at 11th overall, a different option is presented— Hannes Steinbach out of Washington.
Here's what Johnson had to say about Steinbach:
"Steinbach has the size to play the 4 or the 5, and has the potential to stretch the floor. He shot 34 percent from three last season but also shot 75.9 percent on free throws and projects to be able to extend his range. And he also can run the floor well for his size. As a passer, Steinbach isn’t Mara. As a defender, he isn’t close to Johnson. But his offense might easily outweigh both those categories, and his rebounding, especially on the offensive glass, is another reason to believe." Dalton Johnson, NBC Sports Bay Area
While Johnson also makes the case for Mara and his Michigan counterpart Morez Johnson Jr., Steinbach is still a sneakily compelling pick for the Warriors. Even as his range seems to settle outside of the lottery, he's not someone Golden State can afford to keep off of its radar.
Hannes Steinbach should, at the very least, still be an option for the Warriors at 11th overall
The cases to be made for Lendeborg, Mara, and Johnson are somewhat obvious.
Lendeborg has one of the highest floors out of any prospect in this draft. He has a strong all-around skill-set, with consistent shooting both on the interior and the perimeter and the athleticism to be a constant playmaker on both ends of the court. Mara, meanwhile, is the top center prospect in this year's class. Although there are concerns about his conditioning and his switchability, a 7'6" wingspan and a 9'9" standing reach go a long way towards erasing those questions.
Even Johnson has a case to be on the Warriors' radar at 11th overall. Although he doesn't possess the same offensive upside as Lendeborg, he's a highly switchable and versatile defender with excellent rebounding numbers.
But, for the most part, the buzz around Steinbach and the Warriors that picked up earlier in the pre-draft cycle has gone quiet. Why?
Although there are questions about Steinbach's long-term viability as a starting center, he has an post package and a rebounding skill-set that make success at the NBA level easily projectable. Last season at Washington, he averaged 18.5 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 1.6 assists while shooting 57.7% from the field.
He has the size and physicality to capitalize on mismatches in the paint, and he has a creative package at the rim that allows him to score even on less-than-opportune chances. He also is an elite rebounder, having averaged 4.2 offensive rebounds per game last season and consistently shown a feel for finding the ball on both ends of the court.
It will, admittedly, take a while for Steinbach to develop into any semblance of a floor-stretching big. He shot 34% on a total of just 53 3-point attempts during his lone college season. But if Golden State brings back Kristaps Porzingis on a two-year deal, the bones are there for Steinbach to be the perfect backup with a chance to develop into a long-term, versatile big man.
I'm not arguing that Steinbach is a better prospect than Lendeborg (or even Mara, for that matter). But depending on what the Warriors are looking for at 11th overall— or even later if they get an opportunity to trade down— a prospect of Steinbach's skill-set should certainly still be in the picture.
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