Joe Lacob's affinity for the draft and young players has been the worst-kept secret at the Golden State Warriors for years, and now that's been blatantly revealed just days out from Sunday's lottery.
Speaking on NBC Sports Bay Area, assistant general manager Larry Harris -- who will represent the Warriors at the lottery -- confirmed Lacob's love for the draft in a comment that won't sit well with many fans given their desire to see Stephen Curry compete for a fifth NBA championship.
Warriors reveal worst-kept secret about Joe Lacob's love for the draft
Golden State will enter Sunday's lottery with the 11th-best odds of landing the first overall pick, but the more realistic aspiration (though still unlikely) would be to jump up into the top four which stands as a 9.4% chance.
"If I were to tell you that Joe likes the draft, that would be the understatement of the world. I mean he loves the Warriors and he loves the draft. It's his time of year and he watches games," Harris said of Lacob.
This won't come as a surprise to Warrior fans, but the fact it's been said so blatantly by a member of the franchise is still interesting. The amount of influence Lacob as owner has had on basketball decisions in recent years has drawn criticism among fans, with comments like these hardly doing anything to quieten the outside speculation.
Larry Harris, Warriors' assistant GM and draft lottery representative, on Joe Lacob and the draft:
— Chef (@CurryForGame) May 8, 2026
"If I were to tell you that Joe likes the draft, that would be the understatement of the world. I mean he loves the Warriors and he loves the draft. It's his time of year and he… pic.twitter.com/XFvT9Z5mzQ
While only those within the organization will fully understand the various avenues they could have taken, it's not overly dramatic to suggest that Jonathan Kuminga -- and potentially too James Wiseman before him -- may have been traded earlier than what they ultimately were if not for Lacob's fondness for them and his hopes for the post-Curry future.
Warriors won't trade lottery pick if these comments are any indication
Based on these comments, it's hard to see Lacob relinquishing a valuable lottery pick in a strong draft, especially if Golden State do get incredibly fortunate and land a top four pick that gives them access to oen of AJ Dybansta, Cam Boozer, Darryn Peterson or Caleb Wilson.
Perhaps the only exception to that would be if the Warriors can get their hands on Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, with Lacob and the franchise having eyes on the 2x MVP for over half a decade.
There's an argument to be made for Golden State to trade their pick even for a different win-now move, but others will argue that their window is now closed and that focusing on the future is the right idea.
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