The Warriors may not have many clean answers left as they sort through the final spots on the roster, and that is exactly why Kelly Olynyk keeps surfacing as a name worth serious consideration.
Golden State still has work to do before 2026-27, and the picture gets more complicated when you factor in the missing pieces. Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody are both expected to be out until at least mid-season, which means the players already locked into roster spots will have to absorb a bigger load. Even if the Warriors had landed a headline-grabbing star, that reality would not have changed much.
So the focus now turns to how they use their last two contracts. They do have options.
One path would be signing just one veteran minimum player and moving one of their two-way contributors, LJ Cryer or Malevy Leons, onto the standard roster. Another would be bringing in two veterans and hoping both can steady the back end of the bench.
But the more this offseason plays out, the more Olynyk looks like the most practical answer.
He has not held a major NBA role since splitting 2024-25 between the Toronto Raptors and the New Orleans Pelicans, but his skill set still checks a few boxes Golden State needs. He can rebound, he can space the floor, and he offers enough versatility to matter in the kind of lineup combinations the Warriors may need to survive the season.
And there are plenty of holes to fill. Gary Payton II is back, which helps with backcourt depth, but Golden State still needs another ball-handler behind Stephen Curry. Moody’s absence also leaves a clear need for a wing who can shoot and defend on the perimeter.
The frontcourt situation is just as tricky. The Warriors re-signed Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford, and they also brought back Charles Bassey after losing Quinten Post to an offer sheet from the Memphis Grizzlies. That gives them bodies, but not much certainty.
Horford played only 45 games last season because of a variety of ailments, and Porzingis’ long-term health will always invite questions. Bassey brings energy and rebounding, but if both Porzingis and Horford miss time, can Golden State lean on him for extended minutes at center? Olynyk at least gives them another layer of protection.
His last stop with the San Antonio Spurs was limited to 8.6 minutes per game across 42 appearances, with Victor Wembanyama and Luke Kornet ahead of him. Still, he was more productive in his last full season, putting up 8.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.9 assists in 44 games in 2025. His career 36.9% three-point mark on low volume also gives him enough shooting to potentially play some power forward in bench groups.
There is risk here. Olynyk would be an age-35 player, and there is no guarantee he has much left. But the Warriors need frontcourt help, and the alternative appears to be Georges Niang, who did not play a single NBA game in 2025-26.
At this point, that may leave Olynyk as Golden State’s best remaining option.
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