The Golden State Warriors have a lottery pick in the upcoming 2026 NBA Draft, and that selection will get much of the focus between now and draft day.
Whatever talent they add will need to immediately contribute to Golden State's rotation, and Steve Kerr has made clear he'll give extensive run to the young player. But depending on what way they go with that first-round selection, their second-round selection will also present plenty of room for intrigue.
The Warriors are currently slated to select 54th overall after acquiring the Los Angeles Lakers' pick in their trade of Trayce Jackson-Davis. If they spring for a wing or forward in the first round, as many expect them to, perhaps seeking out an additional backcourt piece in the second round would be their best move.
This draft class is so deep that there will be a number of viable rotational pieces for the taking at that point in the process. In ESPN's latest mock draft, drawn up by Jeremy Woo, the Warriors take advantage of that fact, nabbing rapidly-rising guard Ja'Kobi Gillespie out of Tennessee in the second round.
Ja'Kobi Gillespie could be the Warriors' ideal second-round target if they add a forward on Day 1
Gillespie certainly has the scoring and creation pedigree of an NBA prospect. Across 37 games in his senior season at Tennessee, he averaged 18.4 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 5.4 assists while shooting 33.8% from 3-point range. He's a crafty finisher and off-ball mover, and he's got the hands and the three-level scoring chops to be an attractive piece heading into the Draft.
According to former executive John Hollinger, in his piece on the Combine for The Athletic last week, Gillespie likely propelled himself onto many teams' draft boards with his performance at the NBA Combine.
"While those two did what was expected, perhaps no player helped his stock more thanJa’Kobi Gillespie. The Tennessee guard seemed a likely two-way player when the week started as a fifth-year senior standing just 6-0, but he might be this combine’s version of Andrew Nembhard. After Gillespie torched the nets for 43 combined points in two games, including eight high-arching 3-point makes, he’s a possible top-40 pick." John Hollinger, The Athletic
In his mock draft, Woo has the Warriors selecting shooting guard Brayden Burries out of Arizona at 11th overall. Burries doesn't necessarily project as a wing at the next level, and it's unlikely that Golden State drafts a pair of sharpshooting guards in this Draft.
But if they go with, say, Yaxel Lendeborg or Karim Lopez at 11th overall, Gillespie is absolutely a propsect they should have their eyes on at 54th. Hopefully he stays in their range as the pre-draft process continues.
Add us as a preferred source on Google