The Golden State Warriors were once strongly linked to a trade for Nikola Vucevic, but his lack of impact for the Boston Celtics proves the time may have passed for that move despite the veteran center becoming a free agent this offseason.
Instead, the Warriors could pivot to a similar but much cheaper, younger and more intriguing alternative. A recent mock draft has the Warriors taking Hannes Steinbach with the 11th overall pick in next month's draft, with the German drawing some comparisons to Vucevic's playstyle.
Hannes Steinbach could be intriguing alternative to Nikola Vucevic
Most mock drafts have Steinbach being taken late in the lottery or just outside, but Kevin O'Connor of Yahoo Sports now has the 20-year-old heading to Golden State at 11 after being considered one of the biggest winners of the recent draft combine.
O'Connor notes Steinbach's strong interior scoring and rebounding that could make him a contributor from day one, having led the NCAA in boards this year. There's also optimism on him becoming a legitimate 3-point threat, making Steinbach a potentially perfect pick for the Warriors according to O'Connor.
"These traits all would make him a perfect frontcourt fit next to Draymond Green, and he’d bring versatility to the offensive end to support Stephen Curry. With Steve Kerr back in Golden State, Steinbach seems precisely like the type of pick who threads the needle between helping the present while still building a foundation for the future," O'Connor wrote.
After playing two years professionally in his home country, Steinbach joined the Washington Huskies and averaged 18.5 points, 11.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.2 blocks, shooting 57.7% from the floor and 34% from 3-point range during his freshman season.
Hannes Steinbach draws comparison to Nikola Vucevic
O'Connor believes Steinbach draws comparisons to a pair of fellow European big men in Vucevic and Sacramento Kings star Domantas Sabonis, both of who stand at a very similar size and weight to the lottery prospect.
In particular, O'Connor thinks Steinbach could become the type of 20 and 10 guy that Vucevic was for years at the Orlando Magic then Chicago Bulls. Just having a player who could eat up big center minutes and post those kinds of numbers would be valuable to a team like Golden State, which is exactly why Vucevic has been so heavily linked to them in the past, and particularly ahead of the 2025 mid-season trade deadline.
The Warriors may be better served looking at a wing/forward type with the 11th overall pick, but if they're after a big man then Steinbach could be their man considering Aday Mara is now viewed by many as a top 10 selection.
Add us as a preferred source on Google