The Golden State Warriors don’t have their first-round pick in this year’s draft. They traded it as part of the Jimmy Butler trade, a price which so far has seemed worth it. Now the Warriors will only have the 41st pick in the loaded 2025 NBA Draft. This Warriors’ draft pick, while not high, could provide them an opportunity to grab another impact role player.
ESPN’s draft experts, Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo just released their most updated NBA Mock Draft. They are predicting that with the one Warriors’ draft pick, Golden State is going to take Rocco Zikarsky.
Zikarsky is an 18-year-old 7’3” center playing in Australia’s NBL. While still undeniably raw, Zikarsky has drawn interest from multiple teams looking to build on his potential. Zikarsky’s age and size will bring him lots of interest, but he has also shown the ability to be an efficient paint scorer and shot blocker.
It’s no surprise for the Warriors to be linked to another center in the NBA draft. As one of the smallest teams in the league, they’ve used a draft pick in each of their last two seasons to try and get a big man.
Both Trayce Jackson-Davis and Quinten Post have shown flashes that they can help play a role with the Warriors, but the Warriors are still looking for their center of the future.
Zikarsky could represent another bite at the apple. With three young centers on their roster, the Warriors would hope that at least one could become a perennial starter for a team that hasn’t had the same starting center for more than two seasons since their last Australian giant, Andrew Bogut.
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Still, at 18 years old and with the need to develop quite a bit, some Warriors fans might prefer the team to draft a more proven prospect.
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