Warriors coach Steve Kerr eyes No. 11 pick in draft: ‘That guy has to play'

In his first public appearance of his second act as Golden State Warriors head coach, Steve Kerr talked about his long association with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green. And his admiration for Al Horford. And his hope of keeping Kristaps Porzingis.

Kerr also pledged allegiance to an undetermined young prospect - maybe even a teenager - he's never met.

That emerged as one of the most intriguing moments during Friday's back-to-back news conferences at Chase Center. General manager Mike Dunleavy and Kerr each addressed the media for the first time since Kerr agreed to a two-year contract to remain as head coach.

This also marked their first public comments since Sunday's NBA draft lottery. The Warriors will choose 11th in the first round June 23, provided they don't package the pick in a trade before then.

Kerr, whose faith in young players came under scrutiny during the Jonathan Kuminga saga, vowed his commitment to developing the No. 11 pick - especially with Jimmy Butler (torn ACL) and Moses Moody (torn patellar tendon) set to miss at least the first half of next season.

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"Totally," Kerr said. "I think that's a huge factor, and I think we're in a different place now. Mike feels really strongly that we're going to get a good player (at No. 11). It could be a 19-year-old and it could be someone older.

"It's obvious where we are with the injuries to Moses and Jimmy - look at our depth on the wings, that guy (the draft pick) has to play. He's got to earn it, but we're absolutely committed to the development of our young players and trying to do this thing in a way that allows for success down the road - meaning the end of next season and beyond."

Golden State's draft evaluations and development of young players have been a mixed bag in recent years. Their past three lottery selections produced one huge whiff (James Wiseman at No. 2 in 2020), one skilled but mismatched choice who ultimately was traded (Kuminga at No. 7 in '21) and one solid role player in the early stages of a long recovery (Moody at No. 14 in '21).

The Warriors also missed on their first-round pick in 2022 (since traded Patrick Baldwin Jr.), found a rotation player in the second round that year at No. 55 (Gui Santos) and tapped a promising guard in the first round at No. 19 in 2023 (Brandin Podziemski)

This time, the stakes feel higher, with Curry at age 38, Butler injured and soon to turn 37 and Green's impact diminishing at 36. The Warriors need to upgrade their roster, and they need to get younger. Soon.

"It's a lottery pick in a strong draft, so we feel like we're going to get a good player," Dunleavy said. "We'll look at everything - if there are offers for the pick to move up, move back, trade for a veteran player who can help us. We'll look at all that stuff."

Dunleavy referenced Golden State's past success at No. 11 - namely, choosing future Hall of Famer Klay Thompson there in 2011. The Warriors also took Mickael Pietrus with the 11th pick in 2003 and Andris Biedrins the next year. Going back further, they infamously tapped Todd Fuller at No. 11 over Kobe Bryant in 1996.

This year, among the players projected to be available late in the lottery are 20-year-old Arizona guard Brayden Burries; 19-year-old Mexican forward Karim Lopez, playing professionally in New Zealand; and 23-year-old Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg, who helped the Wolverines win the national championship.

A player such as Lendeborg would be enticing, given his age and experience and the Warriors' urgency to return to the playoffs. He played three years in junior college, two years at Alabama-Birmingham and his final season in the Big Ten at Michigan.

"I think there will be a temptation to try and draft somebody who can step in and play right away," Dunleavy said. "It's just so hard to project that in the draft. … I think you can get caught up in a little trouble doing that."

The Warriors could use the draft pick as part of an offer for an established star, such as Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo. Dunleavy acknowledged his team would "always be in the conversation" for big-name trade targets, given its ample draft capital.

But those big-name players are difficult to obtain, which could leave the Warriors trying to improve their roster the old-fashioned way: through the draft. That's how they landed Curry, Thompson and Green, after all.

And this year's draft includes many players projected to make an impact as pros.

"It's a very strong draft - you saw a third of the league tanking this year to get to the top," Dunleavy said. "That speaks for itself. I think there's a good amount of depth, at least through the first half of the first round. That's where we fall, so I'm confident we can get a good player."

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This story was originally published May 15, 2026 at 7:18 PM.