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NBA Draft Day 2: Who should the Golden State Warriors pick at No. 54?

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NBA Draft Day 2: Who should the Golden State Warriors pick at No. 54?

It’s the second day of the NBA Draft.

Teams may be satisfied with their first round selections, but they have to follow it up with additional pieces to compliment their team.

The Golden State Warriors made a splash selection grabbing Michigan’s Yaxel Lendeborg, a wing player who is seemingly ready to step in and contribute in the Bay Area.

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The Warriors were plagued by injury last year and it revealed some of the team’s deficiencies. Golden State still requires more two-way wings, versatile small forwards and power forwards. They will also need to focus on adding more bigs. They lack size in the middle. And even if they bring back Kristaps Porzingis, they will need someone who can compliment his offensive game with tenacious hustle on defense.

They have Brandin Podziemski, but taking a peek at another ball handler, facilitator and shot creator could be the best bet for the Dubs.

Here’s a look at the players in the second round the Warriors should consider taking with the No. 54 pick.

More: Best players available in 2026 NBA Draft: Who is worth taking in Round 2?

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Every player selected in the NBA Draft 2026 first round in photos

NBA commissioner Adam Silver poses with 2026 draft prospects before the NBA Draft at Barclays Center.

(Brad Penner, Imagn Images)

Who should the Golden State Warriors target on Day 2?

Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. and company will need to be decisive on Day 2. There are sleeper prospects they can bring in to contribute to their system. They can take their pick between wings, guards and bigs that are versatile in skill. Ideally, Golden State should identify talented glue guys who will come in and play a role, but also possess the talent to be a key contributor. Here are some of those guys the Warriors should keep an eye on:

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  • Meleek Thomas (Arkansas, Guard): Thomas might not be available when the Warriors pick at No. 54. However, he is a talented shooting guard who can score with ease. He averaged 15.5 points for the Razorbacks. He’s a confident, polished scorer who spaces the floor and attacks closeouts.

  • Darrion Williams (N.C. State, Wing): The Northern California native could be a good piece to add for the Warriors. He stands 6-foot-6, giving him size that Golden State is looking for. He’s the prototypical Swiss army knife. He averaged 14 points a North Carolina State including 40.4% from three-point range as a senior and 38.8% over his four-year NCAA career.

  • Trevon Brazile (Arkansas, Forward): If Brazile is available, the Warriors need to act fast. Simply because the 6-foot-10 forward can make life simple for your defense. Check this, last season at Arkansas he became the first player to record at 40 three-pointers (45), blocks (58) and steals (53) in a season.

  • Izaiyah Nelson (South Florida, Big): Standing at 6-foot-9, Nelson gives up some size as a big man, but that doesn’t take away from his productivity. He’s a unit. And defense is where he can shine for the Warriors. He was the 2025-26 American Conference Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year in a season where he averaged 1.4 blocks and 1.6 steals per game.

  • Aaron Nkrumah (Tennessee State, Wing): Nkrumah could become the first HBCU player drafted since Kyle O’Quinn was selected by the Orlando Magic out of Norfolk State in 2012. Nkrumah is a 6-foot-6 standout who ranked second in total steals (98) and steals per game (2.8).

2026 NBA Draft: Best available players

  1. Isaiah Evans (Duke, Wing)

  2. Meleek Thomas (Arkansas, Guard)

  3. Henri Veesaar (North Carolina, Forward)

  4. Baba Miller (Cincinnati, Big)

  5. Richie Saunders (BYU, Wing)

  6. Ryan Conwell (Louisville, Guard)

  7. Jack Kayil (International, Guard)

  8. Trevon Brazile (Arkansas, Forward)

  9. Bruce Thornton (Ohio St., Guard)

  10. Braden Smith (Purdue, Guard)

  11. Ugonna Onyenso (Virginia, Big)

  12. Emanuel Sharp (Houston, Guard)

  13. Jaden Bradley (Arizona, Guard)

  14. Dillon Mitchell (St. John’s, Big)

  15. Ja’Kobi Gillespie (Tennessee, Guard)

  16. Izaiyah Nelson (South Florida, Big)

  17. Otega Oweh (Kentucky, Guard)

  18. Felix Okpara (Tennessee, Big)

  19. Nick Martinelli (Northwestern, Wing)

  20. Tyler Nickel (Vanderbilt, Wing)

  21. Aaron Nkrumah (Tennessee St., Wing)

  22. Tyler Bilodeau (UCLA, Forward)

  23. Rafael Castro (George Washington, Big)

  24. Milos Uzan (Houston, Guard)

  25. Tobi Lawal (Virginia Tech, Big)

  26. Quadir Copeland (N.C. State, Guard)

  27. Nate Bittle (Oregon, Big)

  28. Tobe Awaka (Arizona, Big)

  29. Bryce Hopkins (St. John’s, Wing)

  30. Tamin Lipsey (Iowa St., Guard)

  31. Kylan Boswell (Illinois, Guard)

  32. Keyshawn Hall (Auburn, Wing)

  33. Vsevolod Ishchenko (International, Guard)

  34. Noam Yaacov (International, Guard)

  35. Nick Boyd (Wisconsin, Guard)

  36. Duke Miles (Vanderbilt, Guard)

  37. Jaden Henley (Grand Canyon, Wing)

  38. Lamar Wilkerson (Indiana, Wing)

  39. Trey Kaufman-Renn (Purdue, Big)

  40. Jaron Pierre Jr. (SMU, Wing)

  41. Tucker DeVries (Indiana, Wing)

  42. Darrion Williams (N.C. State, Wing)

  43. Oscar Cluff (Purdue, Big)

  44. Jalen Washington (Vanderbilt, Big)

  45. Mark Mitchell (Missouri, Wing)

  46. Seth Trimble (North Carolina, Guard)

  47. Malik Reneau (Miami FL, Big)

  48. Elijah Mahi (Santa Clara, Wing)

  49. Graham Ike (Gonzaga, Big)

  50. Kowacie Reeves Jr. (Georgia Tech, Wing)

  51. Ernest Udeh Jr. (Miami FL, Big)

  52. Donovan Atwell (Texas Tech, Guard)

  53. Michael Ajayi (Butler, Big)

  54. William Kyle III (Syracuse, Big)

  55. Robert McCray V (Florida St., Guard)

  56. Lajae Jones (Florida St., Wing)

  57. Wyatt Fricks (Marshall, Forward)

  58. Tre Donaldson (Miami FL, Guard)

  59. Peter Suder (Miami OH, Guard)

  60. B.J. Edwards (SMU, Guard)

  61. Chad Baker-Mazara (USC, Forward)

  62. Malique Lewis (International, Forward)

  63. Jaylin Sellers (Providence, Wing)

  64. Carson Cooper (Michigan St., Big)

  65. Cade Tyson (Minnesota, Wing)

  66. Corey Camper Jr. (Nevada, Wing)

  67. Melvin Council Jr. (Kansas, Guard)

  68. Fletcher Loyer (Purdue, Guard)

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY Sports: Who should Golden State Warriors take in second round of NBA Draft?

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