A Brief History Of The No. 11 Pick, As Warriors Prepare For 2026 Nba Draft

We’re exactly two weeks away from Day 1 of the 2026 NBA Draft which, yes, is now a two-day event. A lot can change between now and then, including the Golden State Warriors attaching their first-round pick to a few other assets to land a big fish before free agency begins. But the most likely scenario is that when Adam Silver calls out the No. 11 pick on draft night, it still has the Warriors’ name attached to it, and is a player that Mike Dunleavy Jr. and Steve Kerr are excited about adding to the rotation.

One of my favorite things to do during draft season is look back on prior picks, so I can calibrate my own expectations. Of course, it’s hard to compare picks year over year — sometimes teams opt for a raw project that they hope can develop down the road, while other times they choose a player they anticipate contributing right away (such as Yaxel Lendeborg, who our Ricky O’Donnell has the Dubs selecting in his latest mock draft).

So here, to help you get a feel for what the Warriors can strive for, are the last 20 No. 11 picks in the draft.

2025: Cedric Coward (Grizzlies)

It’s also hard to compare draft picks because team situations vary so much. The Grizzlies, who swung a draft day trade for Coward, were hit by an absurd amount of injuries this year, and it opened up the door for their first-round pick to play a lot. Coward took advantage, averaging 13.6 points and 5.9 rebounds per game, and making the All-Rookie first team. Only time will tell if he’s a quality starter going forward, or if it’s an Eric Paschall situation.

2024: Matas Buzelis (Bulls)

Safe to say the Warriors would be thrilled to get a Buzelis. In his rookie season he made the All-Rookie team and earned Rookie of the Year votes, while playing well enough to help a team with playoff aspirations. And he followed it up with a sophomore leap that makes him look like he could be a player Chicago builds around for the future.

2023: Jett Howard (Magic)

Suffice to say, you can’t expect to hit a home run with every pick outside of the top 10 (or inside it, for that matter). So far, that’s been the case for the Magic with Howard. He hasn’t been a bust, but only plays a modest bench role — in his third season this year, he averaged career highs in minutes (12.6) and points (5.5).

2022: Ousmane Dieng (Thunder)

Some of the draft serve as a reminder as to how good of a player is drafted at No. 11. And some serve as a reminder as to how good of a player is available at No. 11. Dieng was unable to become a key part of OKC’s rotation during his time with the team, though he played well after a midseason trade to the Bucks this year. But most notably, the two players drafted immediately after Dieng were Jalen Williams and Jalen Duren, All-Stars who are core players on two of the best teams in the NBA.

2021: James Bouknight (Hornets)

The 2021 draft wasn’t great for the Warriors … they took Jonathan Kuminga No. 7 (one spot ahead of Franz Wagner), and Moses Moody No. 14 (two spots ahead of Alperen Şengün, and three spots ahead of Trey Murphy III). But suffice to say, it went a bit worse for the Hornets, who used their lottery pick on Bouknight. He played in just 79 games over three years (while also having legal issues) before being cut, and didn’t catch on anywhere but the G League. He now plays in Mexico.

2020: Devin Vassell (Spurs)

If the 2021 draft wasn’t great for the Warriors, the 2020 one was even worse. The infamous Covid draft saw the Dubs take James Wiseman with the second overall pick, right before LaMelo Ball. A lot of strong players fell to lower draft positions, including Vassell, who is currently a starter on a Spurs team that’s in the NBA Finals. Vassell was a quality role player as a rookie, and a player to build around by his third year.

2019: Cameron Johnson (Suns)

Johnson isn’t a spectacular player, but he’s a high-quality role player, and that’s a nice (but realistic) get at No. 11. He averaged 8.8 points as a rookie, and has averaged 12.8 for his career, peaking at 18.8 during the 2024-25 season. He’s a career 39.6% shooter from deep, and it’s safe to say Golden State would love to find that in the draft. To me, Johnson feels like the prototypical No. 11 pick. There are plenty of players drafted in this slot that are worse, but you’d still be pretty disappointed to get one of them. You aim for this level of production, and hope that you strike gold with a star. Speaking of which…

2018: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Clippers)

I probably don’t need to inform you all as to who SGA is. His rookie version would help the Dubs tremendously — he averaged 10.8 points, 3.3 assists, and 1.2 steals, while making the All-Rookie team — but what he blossomed into is the real story. I’ve long maintained that the Warriors quest for two timelines is absurd and unrealistic, but that could all change if the Dubs draft a player who will go on to win back-to-back MVPs, average 30+ points in four consecutive seasons, and lead a young team to a championship. They should do that. That’s my official stance.

Side note: SGA was part of a draft day trade that saw the Hornets trade him to the Clippers for the No. 12 pick (Miles Bridges) and two second-rounders. After his rookie year, the Clippers traded him to the Thunder, along with Danilo Gallinari, two first-round pick swaps, and five first-round draft picks, for Paul George. I can only imagine what the Charlotte and LA fanbases (and ownerships) feel every time they play the Thunder.

2017: Malik Monk (Hornets)

Monk is another player who feels very much like a No. 11 pick. You hope you get something better, you’re disappointed if you get something worse, and you expect to get something in his galaxy. He’s a high-quality role player who can help any team, and that was true from his rookie season.

2016: Domantas Sabonis (Thunder)

Yet another No. 11 pick with ties to Paul George (who sadly was drafted 10th, not 11th). Before the Thunder traded George for a No. 11 pick entering his second season, they traded a No. 11 pick entering his second season for George. Needless to say, the Dubs would be thrilled if they landed Sabonis at No. 11 this year. He was a contributor from Day 1, starting in 66 games as a rookie, and averaging double figures as a sophomore. By year four he was an All-Star who averaged a double-double. Now he’s a three-time All-Star and a three-time rebounding champ.

2015: Myles Turner (Pacers)

Turner is far from the best player on this list, but he’s still someone the Warriors would be very excited to land at No. 11. He averaged 10.3 points and 5.5 rebounds as a rookie, while starting 30 games, playing strong defense, and making the All-Rookie team. He’s averaged double figures every year of his career, is a decent shooter from distance, and has led the league in blocks twice, while drawing All-Defense and All-Star consideration a few times. If the Dubs end up with a player of Turner’s caliber, they’ll get someone who can help them win games immediately, while being a core part of the next era of Golden State hoops.

2014: Doug McDermott (Bulls)

McDermott should be proud of the career he’s put together, but he’s still an example of a player Golden State will really want to avoid, especially since they’ll likely be shopping for players on the older side. McDermott was a four-year college player and the reigning college Player of the Year when he entered the draft, but his lack of athleticism never allowed him to thrive in the NBA. He averaged just 3.0 points as a rookie, and has spent his career mostly playing sporadic minutes for bad teams. Again, it’s a career he should be proud of: despite many draft pundits saying he wouldn’t be able to survive in the NBA, he’s put together a 12-year career, made a lot of money, and scored more than 6,000 career points. Those are things to be proud of, but things the Warriors will be hoping to avoid.

2013: Michael Carter-Williams (76ers)

This is a fun hypothetical: how would you feel if the Dubs drafted Carter-Williams? As a rookie, MCW averaged 16.7 points, 6.2 rebounds, 6.3 assists, and 1.9 steals, while winning Rookie of the Year. That sure would help Golden State this season! It was also far and away the best year of his career, and by his fourth year he was down to 6.6 points, and would never average double digits again. It was a weird career, and a reminder that the Warriors could end up with a player who helps them in the short term but not the long term … or vice versa.

2012: Meyers Leonard (Blazers)

Leonard is a player who put together a pretty solid career, but would still be a disappointment if the Warriors drafted his 2026 equivalent. He contributed a little bit as a rookie, but only averaged 17.5 minutes on a bad Blazers team, and barely played as a sophomore. Eventually he became a decent contributor, but never anything special. He’s not a bust, but you hope to do better.

2011: Klay Thompson (Warriors)

Do we need to say anything about Klay? It goes without saying that the Dubs would be ecstatic at the opportunity to draft their future Hall of Famer again. Klay contributed right away for Golden State, averaging 12.5 points as a rookie, while shooting 41.4% from three-point range and making the All-Rookie team. In his fourth year he was an All-Star, and All-NBA selection, and a champion. It’s fairly obvious that if the Warriors draft one of the best players in franchise history this year, they’ll be happy.

2010: Cole Aldrich (Thunder)

Aldrich is the type of player the Warriors will be hoping to avoid in the draft. He was drafted onto a contending team and couldn’t crack the rotation, as he appeared in just 18 games as a rookie, and scored a mere 18 points. It wasn’t until his fifth year where he started to become a rotation player, and even then it was in a limited capacity. This won’t help Golden State with their short term or long term goals.

2009: Terrence Williams (Nets)

Four picks after the Dubs selected Steph Curry, the Nets grabbed Williams, who only played four seasons in the Association. Williams was decent as a rookie, which Golden State is certainly on the hunt for, but he never developed after his first year.

2008: Jerryd Bayless (Blazers)

Another player who had a lengthy career, but still is a player the Warriors will be hoping to do better than. Bayless played 11 seasons in the NBA, though he started just 99 games and often filled out the bench for mediocre teams. He’s a valuable player to have, but someone you’d rather sign to the mid-level exception, rather than draft with a lottery pick.

2007: Acie Law (Hawks)

Ahh, Law, who had two stints on the Warriors and catches a stray from Curry once a year due to Don Nelson’s propensity for playing him over the future MVP. He only had a four-year career, and probably would not have helped this version of the Warriors as a rookie, or at any point in his career.

2006: JJ Redick (Magic)

I try not to admit this in public, but once upon a time I was a huge Duke fan, and an even huger Redick fan. Those things haven’t aged incredibly well, but my desire for the Warriors to use the No. 9 pick on Redick instead of Patrick O’Bryant looks pretty smart in hindsight. It took Redick a little bit of time to really find his groove in the pros — he averaged double figures 10 straight seasons — but even as a youngster with moderate stats, he was a contributor for a good Magic team. Like many on this list, Redick is the type of player that the Warriors are probably expecting to get, but hoping to do better than.

So there’s 20 years worth of No. 11 picks. The conclusion, as always? Just draft Shai Gilgeous-Alexander or Klay Thompson, obviously.