Golden State has several intriguing second-round targets as they look to add depth to their roster with the 41st pick.
The 2025 NBA Draft concludes with Thursday night’s second round. Following the Jimmy Butler trade this past season, the Golden State Warriors hold the Miami Heat’s second-round selection, putting them on the clock at No. 41 overall. With a number of intriguing prospects still available, here’s a roundup of who various national outlets project the Warriors will take at pick No. 41:
- ESPN: Rocco Zikarsky, C, Brisbane (Australia)
Strengths: Zikarsky is young (18) with massive size, a budding skill level and obvious potential defensively, thanks to his 9-foot-6½ standing reach.
- The Athletic: Kobe Brea, Wing, Kentucky
Brea is this class’ best shooter off the catch, having drilled 45 percent of his nearly six 3-point attempts per game over the last two years. He is a historically relevant shooter. Having said that, Brea is also not quite at the level of most other NBA skills at this point. He’ll need to work on his defensive ability to stick in the NBA.
- NBC Sports Bay Area: Sion James, Wing, Duke
James shot 49.1 percent on catch-and-shoot threes as a fifth-year senior at Duke. In his final two years of college between Tulane and Duke, James did it all by averaging 11.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.2 steals per game, while shooting 51.5 percent from the field and 39.4 percent on threes. He has the size, strength and athleticism to be in the rotation as a rookie. This is a winning player that should be hard to pass up.
- Bleacher Report: Alex Toohey, Small Forward, Sydney (Australia)
Alex Toohey had a strong showing in Chicago, flashing his improved shooting and looking like an interchangeable big wing or stretch 4 during scrimmages. His range, off-ball finishing and mobility should make him one of the top options after the first round finishes.
- Yahoo Sports: Koby Brea, Wing, Kentucky
- USA Today: Tamar Bates, Guard, Missouri
- Tankathon: Sion James, Wing, Duke
- Sports Illustrated: Sion James, Wing, Duke
- CBS Sports: Noah Penda, Small Forward, France
- HoopsHype: John Broome, Forward, Auburn
Among all the predictions, Duke’s Sion James and Kentucky’s Koby Brea emerge as the top choices for the Warriors’ pick. Both are 22-year-old wings with five years of college experience and skill sets that align with the Warriors’ needs for positional size and shooting.
James, listed at 6-foot-5 and 218 pounds, boasts great physicality and defensive versatility. A 2025 ACC All-Defensive Team selection, he has the tools to guard multiple positions while still being able to contribute offensively, making him a worthy plug-and-play candidate as a second round pick.
Sion James has been a defensive stalwart in today’s combine scrimmages.
6’6, 8’4 reach — exceptional instinct, physicality + defensive playmaking on display. A surefire impact player that’ll be a STEAL in the 2nd round. pic.twitter.com/YCz4i9lM7T
— Mohamed (@mcfNBA) May 15, 2025
Brea, on the other hand, is one of the most efficient shooters in the draft. He hit 43.5% from three in his final season at Kentucky and has solid size at 6-foot-6. While his defense and athleticism are areas of concern, his elite floor spacing would fill a key need in Golden State’s offense.
6’7 Koby Brea in the gym one day before the draft not missing from 3 he has a 43
3FG% in his career in college on nearly 700 career attempts. 2 minutes of no misses Via @JordanRichardSC pic.twitter.com/kL9lOuMODw— Swish Cultures (@swishcultures_) June 24, 2025
Under general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr., the Warriors have a track record of identifying second-round talent that can contribute early. With the core of Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Butler still in place, finding a reliable, low-cost rotation piece at No. 41 will be key to their retooling efforts as they look to take their first step toward another championship push on Thursday night.