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The Golden State Warriors weren't a part of the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft, having already sent the No. 20 pick to the Miami Heat as part of the Jimmy Butler trade. The jury is still out on that gamble, but it had to sting a little watching the Heat land versatile guard Kasparas Jakucionis with that pick — a prospect who had been ranked No. 12 on the final FanSided Big Board.
But the Warriors aren't out of the NBA Draft entirely. They'll be on the clock in the second round tonight at No. 41 and have a chance to address a key weakness with a talented young big man like Rocco Zikarsky.
The Warriors can find the big man they need in the second round
The Warriors have championship aspirations next season and their roster is still in flux with Jonathan Kuminga hitting restricted free agency and potentially being traded or just cut loose. Golden State's best lineups next season will still almost certainly include Draymond playing at the 5, surrounded by shooters and long defenders, but as their core ages, Steve Kerr has to be more selective about when he plays small ball.
That leaves a big hole on the Warriors roster for a traditional big man with size and rim-protecting ability. Someone like Andrew Bogut or Festus Ezeli, who helped anchor certain lineups in earlier years of their dynasty.
Rocco Zikarsky is absolutely a project. He's young (18), raw and didn't exactly stand out in Australia's NBL last season. But he's also enormous (7-foot-4) and has a solid base of skills and tools to build from. FanSided's Chris Kline highlighted what makes him appealing as an NBA Draft prospect:
"Rocco Zikarsky is 7-foot-4 in shoes and 18 years old, which is enough to stand out in a shallow second round. He didn’t take the leap many hoped he would for Brisbane this season, but he can protect the rim and finish anything within arm’s reach of the hoop. Zikarsky won’t guard out in space and he needs to develop his hands, but the force and vertical pop he wields in the paint give him a strong baseline on both ends. Teams looking to swing on a potential situational big man should see the vision with Zikarsky."
He's probably never a star at the next level but watching his tape gives you a good idea of how he could help a team like the Warriors.
Having Zikarsky crashing the glass, finishing alley-oops and blocking shots for 10-12 minutes a night could really help the Warriors next season, saving wear-and-tear and Draymond and more veteran members of the frontcourt and making sure everyone is as fresh and healthy as possible for a playoff run.
There are no game-changers waiting for the Warriors, but Zikarsky could be a perfect fit for what the Warriors need and help keep this team's championship window open just a little bit longer.