The Golden State Warriors hold the No. 11 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft and face a familiar decision. Do they use it to add a young piece to the roster, or package it in a trade for an established star? According to ESPN’s Anthony Slater, the current lean inside the organization is toward using the pick rather than trading it.
Stephen Curry is staying. Steve Kerr is back. The Warriors are in win-now mode, but they also know the roster needs an injection of youth and athleticism.
One prospect is generating significant buzz heading into draft night.
Bleacher Report Has Warriors Taking Cameron Carr
GettyCameron Carr of the Baylor Bears.
In his latest mock draft, Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley has Golden State selecting Cameron Carr, a shooting guard out of Baylor, with the No. 11 pick. Buckley noted that Carr has had a stock-spiking combine and suggested he “might be a great backcourt fit next to Curry already next season.”
The timing works. Carr is the kind of player who could contribute immediately while also carrying long-term value for whenever this Warriors team eventually transitions beyond the Curry era.
What Carr Brings to the Table
The profile is easy to understand. Carr is a 6’4″ wing with a 7’0″ wingspan and elite athleticism. He shot 37.6 percent from three on a high volume of attempts during his season at Baylor and put on a standout shooting display at the NBA combine this week. The outside shot is considered one of the most fundamentally sound in the entire class.
The athleticism goes beyond just scoring. Carr posted a 97th percentile block rate in college, combining his length and timing to alter shots as a weak-side shot blocker in a way few wings in this class can match. For a Warriors team that has struggled defensively at times, a player who can protect the rim from the perimeter is a genuinely useful addition.
His combine performance only strengthened his case. The Warriors would be getting a player trending upward at exactly the right moment.
The Questions Around His Game
Carr is not a finished product. His frame is rail thin, which creates problems on both ends of the floor. Physical defenders can knock him off his line as a driver, and he does not yet have reliable answers when he cannot use his athleticism to get to the rim cleanly. A significant portion of his field goals came off assisted baskets, suggesting he relies heavily on teammates to create advantages for him.
On defense, his lack of size makes him a target for physical ball handlers, and his steal rate was low, meaning he does not make much impact in passing lanes. The ceiling is real. So are the areas that need development.
For a Warriors team that needs contributors now, the upside is worth the projection.
What It Means for the Warriors
GettyStephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors.
Golden State currently appears more likely to use the pick than trade it, according to Slater. If that holds, Carr is exactly the kind of prospect that fits what the Warriors need. A shooter with elite athleticism and defensive upside who can step in beside Curry next season addresses both the immediate and long-term roster needs.
The combine has only strengthened his case. If Golden State is picking at No. 11 on draft night, Carr would be a name worth taking seriously.
Final Word for the Warriors
The Warriors need youth. They need shooting. They need athleticism on the defensive end.
Carr checks all three boxes. And if the current lean toward using the pick holds, draft night could bring exactly the kind of addition this roster has been missing.
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