The Golden State Warriors have made their stance clear on a potential Giannis Antetokounmpo trade, according to the latest rumors. The Warriors, who will make the No. 11 selection in the 2026 NBA draft, have reportedly decided to retain the pick rather than including it in a potential package for Antetokounmpo.
The Bucks are picking slightly ahead of them at No. 10. If the Warriors take a U-turn and trade it to Milwaukee, the Eastern Conference franchise can use it in a package to trade up in the draft. However, given how deep the draft is, Golden State wants to select a player of its choice who can be part of its young core for the future.
Here’s what ESPN’s Marc J. Spears reported on Thursday:
“The Warriors have that 11th pick and people wondering can they get in the Giannis mix. From what I’m being told today from several people the Warriors like to keep that pick.”
Marc J. Spears pondered if keeping the pick could see the Warriors land a player like Yaxel Lendeborg. The former Michigan prospect has been widely named the “Dominican LeBron” for his size and playing style. Lendeborg is 6-foot-9, 240 lbs, with a 7-foot-4 wingspan. He can play multiple positions and has a decent handle.
Lendeborg averaged 15.5 points, 9.9 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.7 blocks in three years of college. In his senior year at Michigan, Lendeborg averaged 15.1 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 3.2 apg, 1.1 spg and 1.2 bpg, shooting 51.5% from the field, including 37.2% from 3-point range.
The Warriors are in dire need of a jumbo-sized wing, especially with Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody likely to miss a large chunk of the 2026-27 NBA season, possibly even all of it. They have shown an inclination towards drafting older prospects with multiple years of college experience, and 24-year-old Yaxel Lendeborg would fit that bill.
4 other prospects Warriors might select with 11th pick rather than trading it for Giannis Antetokounmpo
NBA insider Brett Siegel reported on Thursday that the Warriors are closely scouting four other prospects apart from “Dominican LeBron” Yaxel Lendeborg. That list includes Arizona’s Brayden Burries, Michigan’s Morez Johnson Jr., Tennessee’s Nate Ament and Washington’s Hannes Steinbach.
The Warriors have gathered information on these five prospects since the start of 2026. Siegel wrote that the Warriors are better off keeping the 11th pick and bolstering their foundation for the future instead of trading it. He believes they are unlikely to win the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes as they don’t have a blue-chip prospect.
Jimmy Butler or Draymond Green would need to be included in the trade to match salaries, and it’s unclear if the Bucks would accept a framework around that, as there are no other enticing pieces for Golden State to offer.
“While the Warriors’ future draft assets are clearly more appealing than those other teams, like the Miami Heat, can offer for Giannis, the fact of the matter is that Golden State lacks leverage in trade talks,” Siegel wrote. “Neither Green nor Butler would hold much value to a team like the Bucks if they were to trade Antetokounmpo, and the Warriors don’t have a young, “blue-chip prospect” Milwaukee is said to want.”
Nevertheless, Antetokounmpo remains the Warriors’ No. 1 trade target, and they will likely continue to hunt avenues to acquire the two-time MVP. Antetokounmpo will also have a say in his next landing spot and if he points to the Warriors, the Bucks could accept his request and accept the best deal possible from Golden State.
