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The Golden State Warriors need some help.
As Stephen Curry continues to recover from a knee injury, the Warriors have slipped to ninth in the Western Conference amid a stretch of 10 losses in 14 games. Golden State (33-35) already has lost Jimmy Butler for the season due to an ACL injury, and Curry faces an uncertain return timeline mere weeks before the Play-In Tournament.
MORE: Steve Kerr reveals how Stephen Curry still helps the Warriors amid injury
Though the Warriors hold out some hope in convincing the Milwaukee Bucks on a trade package that would see Giannis Antetokounmpo head to the Bay Area, Golden State also will have to keep an eye on the draft -- where general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. could land immediate help in a deep, loaded 2026 class.
Bleacher Report's newest mock draft has the Warriors selecting New Zealand Breakers forward Karim Lopez with the 12th overall pick in the June draft.
Lopez has been likened to Franz Wagner, the Orlando Magic's All-Star forward who thrives as a scorer and a playmaker. The 18-year-old Lopez is showing many of the same traits as former top-10 pick Wagner, according to B/R's Jonathan Wasserman.
"Even at 18 years old in a physical pro league, he's outmuscled bigs and wings inside the arc," Wasserman writes. "Though not overly explosive, he's strong with the ball, while the flashes of ball-handling, shotmaking and passing create theoretical versatility NBA teams crave from the power forward slot."
That sounds like the kind of player that the Warriors can use and even build around as the franchise begins to reckon with the end of its Curry-Steve Kerr-Draymond Green dynasty years.
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