The Golden State Warriors called the Charlotte Hornets a couple of weeks ago to ask about a deal for both of Charlotte’s first-round picks, and the answer was no. Golden State, which holds the No. 11 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, is still trying to move down and add more selection room.
Brett Siegel reported the inquiry and said the Warriors would keep looking for ways to trade down. He also pointed to the New Orleans Pelicans and Oklahoma City Thunder as possible partners, a sign that Golden State is not locked into one path even after Charlotte shut the door on the first call.
That matters because the Hornets have the No. 14 and No. 18 picks, and they were not interested in moving both. Sources described Charlotte as very comfortable staying where it is in the draft, which leaves Golden State chasing a partner willing to trade down without asking for too much in return.
Joey Akeley of Sports Illustrated floated three possible trade-down ideas for the Warriors, including one that would send the Hornets’ two first-round picks back to Golden State. In another, the Warriors would land the No. 12 and No. 17 picks. In a third, they would get the No. 16 and No. 32 picks, while the Thunder would receive No. 11 and a Top-10-protected first-round pick in 2028. Akeley said the draft quality drops sharply around No. 32, which is why the extra pick matters so much in these constructions.
That is the friction in the story: Golden State wants to move down and increase its draft haul, but Charlotte is comfortable keeping both of its first-round choices. The unanswered piece is what the Hornets would have wanted back to consider parting with either pick, and that is the question that will shape whether the Warriors find a deal or keep searching as the 2026 NBA Draft approaches.
