The Warriors are still holding a couple of open roster spots, and that’s telling you everything about where they stand deep into August: they’re keeping one eye on a possible buyout surprise.
Miami already cashed in on that kind of break. Dallas changed course on a Klay Thompson buyout, and that opened the door for the Heat to land the former Warriors star as a free agent instead of having to send out a player in a trade. Golden State, meanwhile, is still waiting for its own version of that kind of late-summer rescue.
There are a few names floating around. The Warriors have been linked to Kelly Olynyk, Georges Niang and Brandon Williams in recent weeks, but nothing has moved yet. That could mean they’re simply biding their time for a better option to hit the market before the season starts.
That wait matters even more because Golden State loses access to the buyout market once the season begins. Under CBA rules, teams above the first apron can’t sign players who previously earned more than the non-taxpayer mid-level exception during the middle of the season. In the offseason, though, the door is still open.
The biggest name that’s even been whispered in buyout talk is Zach LaVine with the Sacramento Kings, though that would take a dramatic shift to become reality.
And if a Warriors reunion is the fantasy, Jordan Poole is another name that’s been tossed into the conversation. There’s no indication the New Orleans Pelicans are actually considering that move, but a couple of analysts have floated it.
Even if a buyout does come, Golden State still has another problem: selling the destination. The team can only offer minimum contracts as it fills out the roster, while Miami was able to hand Thompson a two-year, $13 million deal.
Money aside, the fit is tricky too. Veteran players have to look at a Warriors team that looks headed for the Play-In Tournament again and decide whether there’s enough upside there to chase a deeper playoff run.
Thompson chose winning over a Bay Area reunion. Another veteran on the buyout market could end up making the same call.
In Other News...
Warriors Could Benefit If Detroit Lets Another Young Core Piece Drift
The Pistons have already entered one tricky restricted-free-agency negotiation with Jalen Duren, and another could be waiting right behind it. Detroit has time to work out extensions with its young core, but the clock is now part of the story, especially when teams know these conversations can spill into future roster planning and affect how long a front office can keep everyone in place.
For Golden State, the angle is simple enough: if Detroit cannot lock down every piece of its young group, the Warriors may have a chance to take advantage when opportunity opens up. With cap space to work with, they could be positioned to monitor a situation that goes beyond this summer and into next year, when another important decision could be looming for the Pistons. [Read more 🡒]
Warriors Still Have A Big Wing Question Heading Into The Season
The wing depth chart already looked like a spot worth watching in San Francisco, and Moses Moodys injury only sharpens the issue. Moody is expected to miss the first half of the season while recovering from a torn patellar tendon, leaving the Warriors to sort through options before the games start to matter for real. His absence strips away one of the more familiar young pieces on the roster and forces the staff to think a little differently about how it wants to cover size and athleticism on the perimeter.
One name now entering the conversation is Dalen Terry, whom Golden State is reportedly weighing for a training camp spot as a possible stopgap answer. Terry brings a different skill set than Moody, but the overlap in age and physical profile makes him at least a plausible fit for the kind of short-term roster patch the Warriors may need. For a team that always values flexibility, the bigger question is whether the temporary answer can hold up long enough to keep the rotation from feeling Moodys absence too sharply. [Read more 🡒]
Warriors Face A Jimmy Butler Decision That Could Reshape Everything
Jimmy Butlers return timeline has started to sharpen the picture for Golden State, and it comes at a moment when the Warriors are already weighing some of the biggest financial questions on their horizon. Butler is on an expiring $56.8 million deal this season, and the front office has to sort through how he fits alongside the roster core while also keeping an eye on the 2027 offseason, when the team could potentially have more cap flexibility.
The complication is that Butlers next contract wont exist in a vacuum. Golden State also has Stephen Currys extension considerations to navigate, and whatever it does with Butler will ripple through the franchises longer-term planning. For a team trying to stay competitive now without boxing itself in later, this is the kind of decision that can shape far more than one season. [Read more 🡒]