As the Golden State Warriors approach the 2025 NBA Draft on June 25, their 41st overall selection, which they received from the Miami Heat in the Jimmy Butler trade and represents their only pick in the draft, will need to be used wisely.
In Yahoo Sports' latest mock draft, the Warriors are projected to select Tennessee guard Chaz Lanier, a sharp-shooter with genuine NBA upside. According to Kevin O'Connor, Yahoo's Senior NBA Analyst, "The Warriors need more shooting... Lanier transferred to Tennessee after four years at North Florida and immediately thrived as a knockdown shooter with shot-making creativity. But without great size or playmaking at his age, he’s a second-round prospect.
Lanier, as a Senior at Tennesee, made a major impact on his team's run to the Elite Eight, and, if Golden State was able to grab him in the second round, he could make an immediate impact on his new team's roster.
Warriors need an NBA-ready prospect with their sole selection
In the 2024-25 season, Lanier averaged 18 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.1 assists playing in the Southeastern Conference, which featured some of the best teams in college basketball last season.
Importantly, he shot a lights-out 39.5% from beyond the arc, knocking down a program record 123 3-pointers on the season.
However, Lanier, as a recently graduated Super Senior, is already 23 years of age: older than players such as Moses Moody and Jonathan Kuminga. This is likely the reason for his second-round prospect grade.
Still, as the Warriors readily displayed in their season-ending defeat in their series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the team desperately needs players who can make shots off their bench, and Lanier projects to fill that need right away.
While players such as Moody, Quinten Post and, at times, Gary Payton II filled that role during the regular season, all three struggled during the playoffs. Post shot an abysmal 31.3% from deep during his 12 playoff games, Moody's game struggled across the board, and Payton, as a free agent, could be departing from the team this offseason.
While Lanier likely would not make the same defensive impact as Payton, his offensive versatility off the bench could help solidify Golden State's roster.
While it has been widely reported that this draft features one of the weakest second rounds in years, largely due to the prevalence of NIL deals and the allure of returning to college to claim that money, Lanier could be a diamond in the rough for the Warriors.