Although the Golden State Warriors didn't find luck in the NBA Draft Lottery, they have almost everything they could ask for with the 11th overall pick.
They likely don't have the flexibility to move up unless they want to sacrifice significant future draft capital— something the organization has avoided outside of their ill-fated pursuit of Giannis Antetokounmpo. But staying put at 11th won't be all that bad. In a draft as deep as this one, there's almost certainly a top-10 talent destined to fall to Golden State.
Given the sheer number of needs they have across their roster, they also have pretty significant optionality with their first-round selection. If they want to grab a forward like Yaxel Lendeborg or Morez Johnson Jr., no one could truly argue with that pick. If Michigan center Aday Mara is available, his athletic, rim-protecting could work wonders with the futures of both Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis in doubt.
If they want to grab another backcourt presence, though, there's perhaps no better option than Arizona's Brayden Burries. Per Anthony Slater at ESPN, Burries is slated to work out with Golden State next week.
"There are plenty of intriguing players who could surprisingly fall out of the top 10, including Arizona guard Brayden Burries, who league sources said is expected to be among the lottery prospects working out for the Warriors next week." Anthony Slater, ESPN
Although each individual workout doesn't provide much information about what the Warriors might be looking to do at 11th overall, Burries' visit does spotlight an ideal scenario for the team on draft night.
Brayden Burries' potential fall outside of the top-10 would be a dream-come-true for the Warriors
As Slater says, this Draft has plenty of intriguing prospects with the potential to fall to the Warriors at 11th overall. Lendeborg, who is visiting with Golden State on Friday, is a projected top-10 prospect by virtually all metrics apart from his advanced age. He'll be 24 by the start of his rookie season.
There are also pieces like Nate Ament and Karim Lopez who carry a wide range of outcomes in the middle of the lottery. But Burries' potential for a draft-night fall might be the most exciting scenario for the Warriors.
Burries just rounded off an excellent season as a true freshman at Arizona, averaging 16.1 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.4 assists while shooting 39.1% from beyond the arc. He's a more-than-capable perimeter shooter and ball-handler, and he has the off-ball movement ability to be a true secondary weapon in an NBA offense. For the Warriors, who desperately need an additional backcourt partner for Stephen Curry, Burries seems like the perfect fit.
Burries is one of a few prospects in this draft class, though, that have quite a bit hinging on the pre-draft workout process. Burries measured at 6'3.75" at the NBA Combine, with a wingspan of 6'6" and an 8'2.5" standing reach. Although his shooting (and relative lack of primary facilitation upside) make him a theoretical fit as a wing at the NBA level, his size could limit him more to pure shooting guard responsibilities.
'Tweeners' always have their doubters. Burries, therefore, has ample room for a slide on draft night.
If he's able to impress teams with his hard-nosed play and smooth jumper during the pre-draft process, any consideration of him falling to the Warriors could be a moot point.
But his visit with Golden State is still an important step in the process. If Burries sufficiently impresses the Warriors' staff during his visit (and doesn't make the same impression on teams like the Dallas Mavericks and Milwaukee Bucks), he could quickly become one of Golden State's top targets.
Add us as a preferred source on Google