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The Golden State Warriors could draft Hannes Steinbach
The Golden State Warriors are in need of some reinforcements. After a turbulent season, littered with injury issues, the front office may view the upcoming NBA draft as the ideal time to add a cost-controlled talent to Steve Kerr’s roster.
According to Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports, via his latest mock draft, Hannes Steinbach could be the ideal addition. Steinbach, a 6-foot-11 big man with professional experience in Germany, has shone during his debut season for the Washington Huskies.
“Steinbach played professionally in Germany before enrolling at Washington, and he’ll enter the NBA with some ready-made skills as an interior scorer and rebounder,” O’Connor wrote. “He has massive hands that he uses to grab every possible rebound and finish effectively around the basket.”
O’Connor continued.
“He also showed legitimate touch on 3-pointers in flashes, which would turn him into a very different player if it becomes real. The Warriors could use a guy like him for the current era and the post-Steph future. However, Steinbach probably needs a Draymond Green type next to him in the frontcourt since he’s a bit of a modern tweener.”
Steinbach has been a key member of the Huskies roster this season. In 30 games, he’s averaging a double-double with 18.5 points, 11.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.2 blocks per game. He’s shooting 61.8% from two-point range and 34% from deep.
Warriors Could Turn Attention To Yaxel Lendeborg
If the Warriors opt against selecting Steinbach in the upcoming draft, they could potentially view Yaxel Lendeborg as a potential solution to their front-court issues. The Michigan forward was recently mocked to the Warriors in a mock draft from Sean Deveny of Heavy on Sports.
“He’s going to be 24 in September, and that’s the big thing with him—he is ready to play in the NBA but you’d expect him to be more of a versatile, dirty-work kind of role player,” an NBA scout told Deveney. “That’s not a bad thing, but he fits best with a contender. Some teams might be looking for a bigger swing.”
Lendeborg has started 37 of his 38 games for Michigan this season. He’s averaging 15.2 points, 7 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game, shooting 37.2% from deep and 64.8% from two-point range.
Warriors’ Biggest Test Is Getting Healthy
Regardless of who the Warriors add to the roster this summer, their biggest test will be getting and staying healthy. Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green are all at the tail end of their careers. However, they’re also the core of Steve Kerr’s roster.
Without that trio in the lineup, Golden State’s chances of success will take a serious hit, as we’ve seen this season. Therefore, Kerr must find a way to manage his star players’ minutes while also developing the younger guys on the roster and still remaining competitive.
It’s a fine line to walk, but one that could pay dividends if Golden State can build some momentum heading into the 2027 postseason. For now, though, all eyes will be on the upcoming play-in tournament, where the Warriors will hope to qualify for the playoffs now that Stephen Curry is set to return.
Adam Taylor is a basketball reporter covering the Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks and Miami Heat for Heavy. He holds bylines for CelticsBlog, USA Today and Yardbarker. Adam also covers the WWE and AEW. He has a bachelor’s degree in creative writing from Open University. More about Adam Taylor
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