Warriors Work Out Three Point Guards With Unique Strengths Before 2026 Nba Draft

Warriors work out three point guards with unique strengths before 2026 NBA Draft originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

With five days left until the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft, the Warriors on Thursday got a look at three very different point guards they could be eyeing. 

Brayden Burries, Labaron Philon Jr. and Bennett Stirtz showcased their skills on the Warriors’ practice court as part of a big pre-draft workout that also included Washington star big man Hannes Steinbach and Baylor wing Cameron Carr. Stirtz and Carr were late additions to Thursday’s workout and weren’t available to the media, unlike Burries and Philon, as well as Steinbach. 

Thriving in Northern California is nothing new to Burries. Down the road at Golden 1 Center, home of the Sacramento Kings, Burries scored an Open Division record 44 points in the state championship to beat San Francisco’s Archbishop Riordan High School and cap off his prep career. During that playoff run, Burries also formed a relationship with Warriors legend and possible future teammate Draymond Green when the two met after a game. 

On Thursday, Green was at his home court rooting Burries on. Playing next to respected vets is something Burries hopes to have from his first NBA home.

“He was talking to me before, and then during the workout he was just, like, encouraging me,” Burries said Thursday to reporters. “Little things like that, I feel it’s pretty cool, because he doesn’t have to be doing that. He could be gone. But he’s just helping me, telling me to continue to push through. And then after the workout we chopped it up a little bit. 

“I feel like he’s a great vet, honestly.” 

Green always has loved to dive deep into the draft and even offer his opinion to the front office. If he pushes for Burries, it’s easy to see why. 

In line with other strong young guards like Dylan Harper, Burries has the frame to thrive at the next level. He’s 215 pounds of pure muscle on his 6-foot-4 frame, and it shows on the court. Burries isn’t great at beating defenders off the dribble, but he explodes off his feet and had the fourth-highest standing vertical at the combine (35 inches) and the fourth-fastest lane agility run (10.59 seconds). Those kinds of bunnies help make Burries a great rebounding guard, too. 

He also can let it fly from deep as a multi-level scorer. Burries shot 39.1 percent on threes while taking 4.6 attempts per game at Arizona. A single label of point guard or shooting guard doesn’t describe his game enough. 

“Something my dad always told me is to just be a complete basketball player. Somebody who can kind of do it all: Pass, defend, shoot, score,” he says. 

That’s what everyone wants to be in the NBA, including Philon, who doesn’t have the same build as Burries. He’s an inch shorter, has the same 6-foot-6 wingspan but weighed in at 176 pounds. Skinny guards always are a cause for concern defensively. 

Philon, however, says he plays bigger than what he weighed in at, and he’s already putting weight back on. He played at 185 pounds last season at Alabama and is hovering around 180 to 183 pounds right now. Plus, Philon won’t be asked to carry such a heavy offensive load to start his pro career, allowing him to have more energy on defense. 

“My ability to play on and off the ball is really special,” Philon said. “And then to still be able to do it on the other side of the ball is really important.” 

His freshman year at Alabama showed promise. His sophomore year was special. 

Philon last season ranked third in the SEC in points per game (22.0) and fourth in assists per game (5.0). He did so while also shooting 39.9 percent from 3-point range on 6.2 attempts per game. 

Another difference between him and Burries is that Philon lives under the rim. Rising for dunks isn’t part of his game. Getting into the paint and making the defense make a decision is. That’s a skill he wanted to show off in front of the Warriors, too. 

“Just my ability to get in the paint and create for others,” Philon said when asked what his goal for the day was. 

It also doesn’t hurt that Philon’s “idol” growing up was Steph Curry. Even as he grew up in Mobile, Ala., Philon had three Curry jerseys as a kid: Blue, white and gold. 

Burries is the least likely of the bunch to be available with the No. 11 pick. There’s a good chance Philon still is on the board. Stirtz definitely will be. 

The Iowa point guard is more of a trade-down option for the Warriors, or someone they could trade back into the first round for. Burries will be 21 before his first NBA game. Philon turns 21 in late November. Stirtz, a senior, will be 23 prior to his first pro game. 

After two great seasons in Division II, Stirtz transferred to Drake and was named the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year as a junior; he then leveled up again as a senior to Iowa, where he was named Second Team All-Big Ten. He has similar size to Philon and is a little sturdier. 

Is he a top athlete? No. Stirtz is a highly skilled player who could surprise some with where he lands. He knows how to operate an offense and shot 37.2 percent from three in his two years of D-I ball. Stirtz swiped 123 steals between his days at Drake and Iowa, and he is extremely smart with the ball, tallying 363 assists to just 138 turnovers in that span. 

Getting Curry and the rest of the roster help with more ball-handlers and playmakers is a Warriors priority, whether that’s through the draft, trades or free agency.

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