The Golden State Warriors hold the No. 11 overall pick in next week’s NBA Draft, and the front office continues evaluating multiple directions as it looks to maximize what remains of Stephen Curry‘s championship window. With the first round set for Tuesday, June 23, mock drafts across the industry are starting to converge around a familiar name.
Aday Mara keeps showing up in Golden State’s projected slot.
The Mock Draft Consensus
ESPN’s Jeremy Woo, Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor, the Associated Press, and Tankathon all have the Warriors selecting Mara at No. 11. The Michigan center has emerged as the most frequently projected pick for Golden State across the major outlets tracking the draft.
He is not the only Michigan name in the conversation. NBC Sports Bay Area’s Dalton Johnson has the Warriors taking Morez Johnson Jr., while ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel, The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie, and SB Nation’s Ricky O’Donnell all project Yaxel Lendeborg as Golden State’s selection. Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman has the Warriors going in a different direction entirely with New Zealand Breakers forward Karim Lopez, while USA Today’s AI model projects Tennessee’s Nate Ament.
Mara stands out as the most repeated selection across the group.
Why Mara Keeps Coming Up
GettyAday Mara of the Michigan Wolverines.
The Warriors have already hosted both Lendeborg and Johnson for pre-draft workouts, but Mara has not been publicly reported to have worked out for Golden State yet. Despite that, his combination of size and skill continues to draw strong interest from mock draft analysts projecting his landing spot.
Woo’s latest mock draft described Mara as a likely top-12 selection with real interest from multiple teams in that range, including Golden State. He pointed to Mara’s rare combination of size, coordination, and skill as a true seven-footer, traits that are becoming increasingly valuable as the league shifts back toward prioritizing size up front. Mara’s ability to manipulate defenses as a passer adds another dimension that has scouts and front offices intrigued.
What It Would Mean for the Warriors
GettySteve Kerr, Golden State Warriors.
Selecting Mara would give Golden State a true seven-footer with passing instincts that could fit well within the Warriors’ motion-heavy offensive system. His size would also address a long-standing need in the frontcourt, an area Golden State has searched to upgrade for several seasons.
The Michigan connection extends beyond just Mara. With Lendeborg and Johnson also frequently appearing in Warriors mock drafts, Golden State’s interest in this specific Wolverines core has become one of the more consistent storylines of the entire pre-draft process.
Final Word for the Warriors
The mock drafts will keep shifting until June 23 actually arrives, but the early consensus points toward Michigan being the program Golden State keeps circling back to. Whether that ends with Mara, Lendeborg, or Johnson in a Warriors uniform remains to be seen.
One week out, the smoke continues pointing toward Ann Arbor.
Warriors’ Most Likely NBA Draft Pick Emerges One Week Out