Behind the cores of Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler, the Golden State Warriors have several players flying under the radar despite exceeding expectations.
The Golden State Warriors abandoned their first round pick in the 2025 NBA Draft and sent the Miami Heat on a trade that landed Jimmy Butler. As a result, the Warriors chose 41st, excluding up and down trade.
The team recognizes that Nikola Jokic and Manu Zinobili are able to find elite talent in the second round, as they stand out, but all Jokic and Zinobili have hundreds of players with short, forgettable careers.
The Warriors were particularly successful with two rounds of picks, with Draymond Green, who was selected 35th overall in 2012 and became a Hall of Fame defender. In recent seasons, the Warriors are looking to find contributors in the second round and hope to repeat this year.
The Warriors did not choose Trace Jackson Davis, but the former Washington Wizards’ 57th overall pick has only played Golden State. Meanwhile, Quinten Post was chosen 52nd overall by the Warriors last summer.
Both show value on both ends of the floor and are solid frontcourt players who played a role in the Warriors playoff team this season. When describing the draft strategy, general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. offered praise to the young people.
“We’ve been lucky among those who have been able to come quickly over the last few years between QP and Trayce,” said general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr.
“We’ll be lucky to draft a guy who can do that in the second round. So I think we have to be realistic about what it is. But certainly we’re going to analyze this, look at it and try to find the best player who can contribute to this franchise.”
With Green, Butler and Stephen Curry, the Warriors may be trying to add a winning talent, but their track record suggests they can find diamonds in the rough.
Hundreds of articles have been written about the players selected before Stephen Curry, with overlooked prospects such as Green, Klay Thompson, Brandin Podziemski, Jordan Poole and Kevon Looney.
Of course, the Warriors drafted James Wiseman second in 2020, making him one of the biggest busts of all time, but for the most part, the Warriors found talent they hadn’t expected.
| player | Year/Pick | Total points | Total Assist | Total rebound | Earn shares per 48 minutes | Volp |
| Quinten Submitted | 2024/52nd | 340 (23rd) | 56 (33rd) | 148 (23rd) | .116 (8th) | 0.4 (4th) |
| Trayce Jackson-Davis | 2023/57th | 947 (19th) | 186 (16th) | 652 (6th) | . 187 (3rd) | 2.1 (4th) |
| Draymond Green | 2013/35th | 7,665 (ninth) | 4,948 (second) | 6,087 (third) | .123 (6th) | 27.6 (3rd) |
Dunleavy realizes that it is not possible to find a good player on the 41st pick, but he knows that it is possible. In our full mock draft, Dub chooses Chaz Lanier from Tennessee. Tennessee is a five-year NCAA player ready to contribute immediately.
Of course, there is a reason for warriors to be optimistic, as the 2025 class is one of the deeper drafts of recent memories.