Before the pick, there is a document.
Every draft selection in the NBA starts the same way: a scouting report. It tracks what the eye test misses: the player’s pattern under pressure; their ceiling on a bad contract; their value in a system that doesn’t exist yet.
That report exists because instinct isn’t enough. Not when one wrong pick costs a franchise a decade.
Carta is the official presenting sponsor of the Golden State Warriors 2026 NBA Draft. We’re here because that same scouting report—the one that changes the outcome for NBA franchises—doesn't exist for most startup founders. Until now.
The parallel runs deeper than you think
For founders, the stakes are higher than they’ve been in years.
You’re on the clock. By the time you’re in the room with investors, the shot clock has already started. It used to be that competitive founders hired executives after the raise. Now, they’re coming in with the roster already assembled to validate the valuation.
So, founders are building teams in real-time: making offer calls without a comp model and pricing roles in a market AI restructured before most benchmarking guides caught up.
Kirk Lacob, EVP of basketball operations for the Golden State Warriors, knows this tension firsthand: “We have a lot of data and a lot of math that can tell you what someone's worth. But that might not actually be reflective of the marketplace.”
Download our report to see what’s separating the champions
The difference between a good hire and a great one rarely announces itself. As Kirk puts it: “It's the margins. Is this player going to fit us two percent better? Is this player worth a three percent better chance of making it? Those are the sort of things where the edges really matter.”
This special edition of the 2026 Carta Total Compensation Report, The Total Comp Scouting Report, is built to give founders and CFOs real offer data from over 900,000 employees in the private markets.
Think of it as your own scouting report in six chapters:
The First Pick: Why you’re already on the clock
The Roster: A guide to compensating early exec teams
The Three-Pointer: How AI is changing the game
The Trade: How founders exchange equity for talent
The Starters: Planning comp for your first five hires
The Contract: How you (like the Warriors) close the six-figure offer
Get the report now:
Want to hear it straight from the front office?
We sat down with Kirk Lacob during draft week to talk talent, data, and the decisions that build dynasties.
Ashley Neville, director of insights at Carta, gets Kirk on the parallels between NBA roster-building and the hiring choices every founder faces on the way to their championship moment.
Draft your winning team
Carta gives founders the data to walk into any offer conversation knowing they’re right: The scouting report they don’t have. The trade offer that lands because you knew exactly what it needed to be.
“The best teams are built with the best data and good decisions. And then sprinkle on a little bit of luck.”
— Kirk Lacob, EVP of Basketball Operations, Golden State Warriors
Starting this Draft Day, you’ll have the best data. The rest is up to you.
DISCLOSURE: This communication is on behalf of eShares, Inc. dba Carta, Inc. ("Carta"). This communication is for informational purposes only, and contains general information only. Carta is not, by means of this communication, rendering accounting, business, financial, investment, legal, tax, or other professional advice or services. This publication is not a substitute for such professional advice or services nor should it be used as a basis for any decision or action that may affect your business or interests. Before making any decision or taking any action that may affect your business or interests, you should consult a qualified professional advisor. This communication is not intended as a recommendation, offer or solicitation for the purchase or sale of any security. Carta does not assume any liability for reliance on the information provided herein. This post contains links to articles or other information that may be contained on third-party websites. The inclusion of any hyperlink is not and does not imply any endorsement, approval, investigation, or verification by Carta, and Carta does not endorse or accept responsibility for the content, or the use, of such third-party websites. Carta assumes no liability for any inaccuracies, errors or omissions in or from any data or other information provided on such third-party websites. © 2026 eShares, Inc. dba Carta, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction prohibited.
