It's an exhausted talking point by now, but it's the truth. The Golden State Warriors must begin seriously thinking about the future of their organization beyond the end of the Stephen Curry era.
The difficulty has always been balancing that mindset with the goal of providing enough talent to compete in the short-term. The Warriors, to this point, have not successfully found a way to truly straddle those two goals.
But they'll get another bite at the apple in the 2026 NBA Draft. Even if they aren't bumped up into the top-four (they'll have a 9.4% chance in the Draft Lottery), their selection at 11th overall should yield a premier prospect in a draft class that projects to be one of the deepest in years.
Their most glaring need is in the frontcourt. But if the opportunity presents itself, finding an ideal backcourt addition— one who could be a partner for Curry in the short-term and a boon to Brandin Podziemski in the long-term— would be a viable choice.
FanSided's latest 2026 NBA Mock Draft has Golden State slated to select Brayden Burries out of Arizona at 11th overall, and he could be the rare prospect that accomplishes both of those goals.
Brayden Burries could be the Warriors' ideal first-round target if the Draft Lottery doesn't break their way
Burries had a highly productive freshman season in one of the best programs in the country at Arizona, averaging 16.1 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.4 assists while shooting 39.1% from beyond the arc across 39 games. Even at 6'4", he's more than a capable defender at the point of attack. Here's what Christopher Kline, the author of FanSided's mock draft, had to say:
"There will be skeptics of a smaller guard who isn't a primary engine, but Burries does so much dirty work on both ends. The motor is relentless; he's an attentive free safety with the strength and quickness to lock up the point of attack against a variety of matchups when called upon. He's also an efficient spot-up shooter, a crafty driver with elite finishing numbers (65 percent at the rim!) and a mistake-free, low-turnover connector." Christopher Kline, FanSided
In terms of his immediate fit with Curry, Burries has the chance to be the idealized version of Podziemski in the Warriors' backcourt. His strong defense would help make up for the likely departure of De'Anthony Melton, and he has the passing and off-ball movement abilities to feed off of Curry's gravity.
But Golden State must think beyond that with this selection. Podziemski's future will likely need to be decided upon as he becomes extension-eligible this offseason. If the Warriors' long-term view of him is truly as a cornerstone of the franchise, Burries would need to be a piece who could fit within both the Curry-centric system and a more open gameplan alongside Podziemski.
Burries isn't a primary facilitator, which would be an ideal pairing for Podziemski. But he had a low turnover rate during his time at Arizona, averaging just two turnovers per 40 minutes on the court. If the Warriors could develop his playmaking and utilize him as one of their primary point-of-attack defenders, he could free Podziemski up on both sides of the floor to play his hustle-oriented game with more flexibility.
Of course, competing for a championship now should be the utmost priority for Golden State. But selecting Burries in the first round would satisfy a number of both short and long-term needs, making it, at the very least, an intriguing proposition.
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