Where the Warriors Go From Here
On the Warriors striking out again, their outlook for the upcoming season, the allure of 2027 cap space, why their roster will likely look very different soon, and how Stephen Curry factors in.
The second half of the Stephen Curry era was always going to be a challenge. It got off to a rough start after the Warriors lost the NBA Finals, then lost Klay Thompson for the following season after he suffered a torn ACL. They also lost Kevin Durant in free agency, though he would have been unavailable due to a torn Achilles. Since then, the Warriors have always had something to look forward to.
The 2020-21 season was a return to competition and the start of former No. 2 overall pick James Wiseman’s career. The 2021-22 season saw the return of Thompson and the Curry-Green-Thompson trio playing together for the first time in almost three years. They were playing with free money entering the 2022-23 season since it was their chance to defend a recent championship.
Things have slowly unraveled for the franchise since then. Although they won a championship, the biggest fears of the decade became visible when none of their lottery picks developed into a cornerstone. They’ve had some young players develop into fine role players and remained competitive by bringing in veterans through free agency and trades. The Jimmy Butler trade revitalized the team and brought hope heading into last season after Golden State advanced to the second round of the 2025 playoffs.
Now the vibes are at their lowest point heading into the upcoming season after the Warriors missed out on LeBron James. He’s another name on a long list of All-Star-caliber players the Warriors were linked to and couldn’t get. He wasn’t going to single-handedly elevate them into contender status, but he would’ve put them in the playoff picture and on the path to contention with additional moves. Butler’s injury ended their title hopes, but it was clear last season that they still needed more help as they were treading .500 with him.
What makes this one so rough is that James would’ve been a great fit with Curry and, at a veteran minimum salary, still would’ve left room for additional moves. But it also feels like a gut-punch reality check that if the Warriors aren’t good enough for a 41-year-old James entering his 24th season, then they’re probably not close to appealing to other stars. As explained last week, they were looking at a high price point to add an All-Star like Anthony Davis to this core. That’s a risk for a team that may not have much time left with Curry.
The Warriors also appear to be prioritizing their future, with very few exceptions for the type of players they’d be willing to sacrifice that future for. Lottery flattening may make them content to stay the course and remain respectable enough to hopefully make the playoffs. Worst case, they’d still have a good chance at receiving a high lottery pick. It seems like they are operating on two timelines: building toward the post-Curry future while also reaping the financial benefits of keeping him in Chase Center.
