The Golden State Warriors hold the No. 11 overall pick, and Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley projects them to select Baylor guard Cameron Carr — a 6-foot-5 wing shooter with NBA-ready three-and-D instincts and the long-term potential to grow into a starting-caliber scoring threat alongside Stephen Curry. The logic mirrors the Warriors’ historical two-timeline strategy: find a player who helps the current aging core compete right away while carrying genuine upside for the post-Curry era.

Carr’s case for the Warriors is rooted in fit and readiness. He led Baylor in scoring, hit nearly 40 percent from three on high volume, and showed emerging off-the-dribble ability that, if it continues developing, pushes him out of pure specialist territory. His athleticism is a genuine NBA asset — he measured 6-foot-5 and 184 pounds with a 6-foot-7 wingspan — and his defensive engagement as a wing makes him a credible starter in Golden State’s switching scheme. Curry’s court gravity creates natural spacing for shooters, and Carr would be among the earliest beneficiaries of that from day one.

The direct opportunity cost at No. 11 is Oklahoma City’s selection at No. 12: Michigan center Aday Mara, a 7-foot-3 shot-blocking marvel with elite interior skills and legitimate playmaking feel despite his size. Mara represents a completely different player type — a true 5 with a 9-foot-9 standing reach who can anchor a defense and run lob-heavy offense. The Warriors, who already have a functioning center rotation around Draymond Green, have less immediate use for Mara than OKC does, but his long-term value is arguably higher than Carr’s given how rare true 7-footers with passing instincts are.

CBS Sports’ Adam Finkelstein also projects Aday Mara to Golden State at this spot, reflecting the view that the Warriors’ most glaring need is interior size rather than another perimeter piece. CBS Sports’ Cameron Salerno has Brayden Burries at No. 11, and Gary Parrish projects Yaxel Lendeborg. Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor projects Hannes Steinbach, the 6-foot-11 Washington freshman center, to Golden State — a projection grounded in the fit between Steinbach’s offensive skill set and the Warriors’ pick-and-roll system alongside Curry. The spread across outlets reflects genuine disagreement about whether Golden State’s priority is a big man or a wing.

The argument for Carr over Mara rests on Golden State’s immediate competitive window. Steve Kerr returned to coach this year’s squad, and the Warriors are operating with one more year of Curry at peak productivity in mind. Carr can step into a Klay Thompson-style role from his first season — off-ball shooting, energy defense, movement-catch-and-shoot — and grow into something greater if his handle development continues. A center investment at this age makes more structural sense for a rebuilding team than for a win-now contender trying to stay relevant around a 38-year-old Hall of Famer.

Golden State’s development system has consistently turned fringe contributors into reliable rotation players. Carr’s combination of shooting credentials, wing size, and early defensive engagement gives that system ideal raw material to work with.

What Other Outlets Are Projecting

Outlet	Projected Player
Bleacher Report	Cameron Carr, SG, Baylor
CBS Sports	Aday Mara, C, Michigan (Finkelstein)
Tankathon	Yaxel Lendeborg, PF, Michigan
Yahoo Sports	Hannes Steinbach, PF, Washington

Taking Carr at No. 11 is the right call because Golden State’s best path forward isn’t rebuilding around a center — it’s extending its competitive window with a ready-made shooting wing and then letting him grow into a star after Curry’s peak years are complete. The Warriors have proven more than any organization in the league that player development turns good shooters into great ones and great ones into All-Stars. Carr gives them exactly the foundational material that system is designed to maximize.