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Ranking Every Under-25 Golden State Warriors Player
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- Ranking Every Under-25 Golden State Warriors Player
Moses Moody and Gui Santos | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Golden State Warriors aren't exactly on "two timelines" anymore, but they still have a young core.
It's just not that young.
The youngest player in this ranking is 23 years old. No one is so raw that they will risk hurting the entire team's ability to function when they are playing.
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I'm only ranking players who are under contract with Golden State. In other words, every player here has a standard contract or a two-way contract. That means Lajae Jones, Dalen Terry and Alex Toohey are among those not ranked.
The players are ranked by how impactful they would be for a 2027 playoff series.
6. LJ Cryer , 24
2025-26 EPM: -1.02025-26 Net Rating: +1.4
Cryer had a better EPM and net rating (via Cleaning the Glass ) than Will Richard , so he has a case to be one spot higher. But Richard's defensive versatility still makes him slightly more valuable.
Cryer truly battles on the defensive end, but at 6'0", he is a major target. He makes up for some of his defensive issues with his three-point shooting (39.4%), but outside of that he doesn't impact the game much.
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The next step for Cryer would be working on his handle to get into the paint more for floaters and kickouts.
5. Will Richard, 23
2025-25 EPM: -1.72025-26 Net Rating: -5.1
Richard played 1,377 minutes as a rookie, and he mostly held his own. That's a great sign for a late second-round pick.
His best attribute is getting deflections and steals, which is reflected in his steal rate (2.1 per 36 minutes). The 6'3" guard also provides value crashing the offensive glass.
On the downside, his offensive game is limited to spacing the floor and cutting because he doesn't have the ball-handling skills to drive by defenders.
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Richard will play a long time if he can significantly improve his three-point percentage (33.5 percent).
4. Gui Santos , 24
2025-26 EPM: -0.32025-26 Net Rating: +3.3
Santos finished the season strong, averaging 15.4 points on 51.5 percent shooting over the last 31 games. But over the last month-and-a-half, he made just 30.9 percent of his threes.
The good news for Santos is he can provide value without making threes. He's mastered the art of picking his spots with his drives, and with his 6'7" size, he has good defensive versatility.
Santos should settle into a role as a stretch-4 off the bench once Jimmy Butler returns from his ACL injury. For Santos to become a long-term starter, he'll have to improve his shooting and one-on-one scoring arsenal.
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3. Yaxel Lendeborg , 23
Lendeborg's ranking is all projection. He could easily rank first or fourth by season's end.
To be clear, I'm a believer in Lendeborg becoming a very impactful NBA player. And I think he'll have a solid rookie season-he better considering he'll be 24 before the season starts.
But the two players ahead of him have provided consistent impact over their careers.
My guess is Lendeborg will rank No. 1 on this list for a 2028 playoff series. But for a 2027 playoff series, I'm giving the benefit of the doubt to two guys who have NBA experience.
2. Brandin Podziemski , 23
EPM: 0.0Net Rating: +2.9
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Based on last year's numbers, one could argue Lendeborg should be in the No. 2 spot ahead of Podz. But I'm projecting that Podz has a better season in 2026-27.
In 2024-25, Podz had a 1.1 EPM and a plus-6.8 net rating. Surprisingly, his impact fell off early in the 2025-26 season.
He responded with a solid second half, including averaging 18.1 points per game over the last two months.
The version of Podz scoring consistently while adding value as a great defender and rebounder is worthy of this No. 2 ranking.
1. Moses Moody , 24
EPM: +2.2Net Rating: +7.0
Moody is out for at least half the season with a patellar tendon tear, but as long as he comes back playing at the level he was when he got hurt, he deserves this spot.
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I believe he can get there by the end of the season.
A 2.2 EPM is no joke. That ranks in the 89th percentile, and it's spearheaded by a 94th percentile Defensive EPM.
Moody's defensive impact numbers are deserved based on his team-best on-ball defense. He's held his own defending elite point guards and bigger wings.
Offensively, Moody provides more value on threes than Podz due to a) having a slightly higher percentage and b) shooting more of them. Moody has a higher volume in part because his release is quicker and higher.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nba/warriors/onsi as Ranking Every Under-25 Golden State Warriors Player .
