The Warriors are trying to do two things at once: chase another title with one of the oldest rosters in recent memory, and keep a few young pieces moving in the right direction for whatever comes next.
That balancing act matters because Golden State hasn’t exactly been swimming in premium draft capital. Even so, the front office has pieced together a prospect group that deserves a real look. And while first-round pick Yaxel Lendeborg sits in the obvious category, there are other young players the Warriors need to sort through now.
Will Richard is one of the keepers. The late second-round pick from Florida keeps beating the odds and looks like the kind of bench shooter who can matter when the roster gets younger.
His Summer League line - 47/40/100 shooting splits - is exactly the kind of production Golden State wanted to see. That kind of efficiency gives him a real case as a lethal gunner off the bench.
Gui Santos belongs in the same development bucket. He has worked his way into the Warriors’ rotation after coming out of nowhere, and there’s still room for more.
Lendeborg’s arrival could create direct competition for minutes, but there’s also a path where Steve Kerr develops both at the same time. Santos has already brought the finishing, passing and energy; the next step is becoming a more creative scorer who can shoulder more of the offense.
Not every young player gets the same vote of confidence. Lachlan Olbrich, a former second-round pick of the Chicago Bulls, had a few moments in Summer League while trying to grab one of Golden State’s final two-way spots.
But the full body of work hasn’t been strong enough to make a convincing case. In Las Vegas Summer League, he shot 37.5% from the field and averaged 2.3 rebounds per game, numbers that don’t separate him from the pack.
Then there’s Brandin Podziemski, who has been given as much developmental runway as the Warriors can reasonably offer. The problem is that he still hasn’t taken that clear next step.
He’s not a bad player, and he has shown flashes of brilliance, but Golden State may have to decide he isn’t part of the long-term answer when the rebuild eventually arrives. His next extension could push him into eight figures per year, and moving him for picks and cheaper rotation help might be the smarter play.
In Other News...
Warriors Just Got A Potentially Crushing LeBron Update
The Warriors spent much of the offseason hoping for a swing big enough to reshape the Western Conference race, and LeBron James has been one of the names hovering over that conversation. Any update on his next move matters in Golden State because a player of his stature changes not just one roster, but the balance of the league around him.
For now, the most important part of the latest word is what it does not point toward. If James ends up in the East, Golden State at least avoids the nightmare of having him land with a direct Western rival, but the clubs pursuit of him would still be left hanging. For a team trying to keep pace with the top of the conference, that is a pretty sharp turn from dream scenario to damage control. [Read more 🡒]
Warriors Fans Know How Fast A Kuminga Stalemate Can Turn Toxic
Jonathan Kumingas restricted free agency with Golden State still hangs over the league as a cautionary tale, and the latest round of negotiations elsewhere is bringing that memory back into focus. The Pistons are working through a deal with Jalen Duren, while the Nuggets are in talks with Peyton Watson, and both situations have the familiar feel of a young player waiting to see whether his team values him enough to make the process painless.
For Warriors fans, the lesson is obvious: these standoffs can turn sour quickly when a player feels dragged along. Durens case carries even more weight because he just put together a career-best season and earned major league recognition, which only raises the stakes for Detroit as it tries to keep its core intact. Around the NBA, there is already a sense that if either negotiation gets handled the wrong way, the relationship could become the real issue long before the contract does. [Read more 🡒]