The Golden State Warriors are walking into next season with the kind of low buzz that can either crush a team or loosen it up. Right now, plenty of fans are looking at the roster and seeing a club that probably lands around the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference, with a Play-In trip and maybe a first-round exit against a stronger team like the San Antonio Spurs or Oklahoma City Thunder.
But that kind of skepticism can cut both ways. Veterans around the league know that when nobody is talking about you, there’s at least some room to breathe. Gary Payton II said the Warriors are in that lane now, pointing to a familiar feeling from a few years ago.
“It’s funny. It kind of gives, in a sense, a ‘22 feeling. We’re not expected to do anything, but we still got a pretty good veteran core, and we got some talented young guys," Payton told NBC Sports Bay Area.
That 2021-22 season is the obvious reference point. Not many people expected Golden State to win a title then, but the group went out and stunned the league anyway, showing it could still finish the job even without Kevin Durant and with an older core carrying the load.
That’s why flying under the radar may not be the worst place for this team to be. Last season, the Warriors believed they could contend in the West, and that may have been asking for more than the group could realistically deliver, even after the promise they showed the year before following the Jimmy Butler move.
The more useful blueprint might be closer to what the San Francisco 49ers did in 2025. They entered the season with lower expectations and still reached the playoffs, which made the year feel like a success even with injuries piling up.
That kind of approach could fit the 2026-27 Warriors too. Steve Kerr has already declined to put hard expectations on the team, and that lines up with what he wants from this group: a good brand of basketball that can last. That’s a more realistic target than trying to chase the top teams in the West.
And if that looseness helps the Warriors play freer, there’s still a path for them to beat the projection. Stephen Curry is still there, and if he stays healthy and keeps producing, Golden State always has a chance to make noise when people least expect it.
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Warriors Can Feel Better About Missing Out On Kawhi Leonard
Kawhi Leonards return to Toronto gives the Warriors a little more clarity about one of the most intriguing what-ifs in recent NBA memory. After the Clippers completed their investigation and moved Leonard back to the Raptors, the saga closed with the forward landing where he wanted to be, ending a stretch of speculation that had Golden State in the mix and left plenty of people around the league wondering how close the sides really got.
For the Warriors, the bigger takeaway is less about regret than perspective. Leonards preference for Toronto, rooted in personal and family reasons, helps explain why the finish line always seemed uncertain, even as his market included other possibilities. Golden State never got the chance to add a two-way star of that caliber, but at least now the path he chose is clearer than the rumors that swirled around it. [Read more 🡒]
Steph Curry Just Kept The Warriors' Biggest Offseason Question Alive
Stephen Curry is in no rush to settle his next deal with the Warriors, and that alone has kept one of the franchises biggest offseason questions hanging in the air. He became eligible for an extension on Aug. 29, but instead of quickly locking in terms, Curry said he wants to wait until he has all the necessary information before making a decision. Golden State, for its part, is not applying pressure and appears willing to let the process unfold on his timeline.
The timing matters because Currys choice could shape the Warriors financial picture far beyond this fall. He can still choose from a few different paths, including signing now or holding off, and the latter route would give the team more flexibility when other contracts come off the books next summer. For a franchise trying to balance present contention with future maneuvering room, Currys patience may prove just as important as any on-court move. [Read more 🡒]
Former Warriors Wing Kevin Knox Just Got Another NBA Shot
Kevin Knox II is getting another look in the NBA, and it comes after a year spent trying to work his way back into the league with the Windy City Bulls. The former Warriors forward has bounced around the NBA since leaving Golden State, but he still has a path to stick with a team as the new season approaches.
Orlando brought Knox in on a training camp deal ahead of the 2024-25 season, giving him a chance to compete for a place on the opening-night roster. For a player who has already logged 320 career games across five NBA teams, it is another opportunity to show he can still carve out a role at the highest level. [Read more 🡒]