The Golden State Warriors still have a glaring need behind Stephen Curry, and it’s the kind of problem that has quietly shaped too many of their recent choices.
Curry remains as central as ever, and the Warriors are expected to sign him to an extension that keeps him in uniform beyond this season. But the bigger issue is the same one that keeps coming back: Golden State has not had a dependable lead guard to organize the offense when Curry sits. That has forced the team to lean on him more than it should.
That’s why Ryan Rollins is worth revisiting. The Warriors’ old decision to move on from him - in the deal that sent Rollins, Jordan Poole, and Patrick Baldwin Jr. to the Washington Wizards - isn’t something worth rehashing endlessly, and it may be too strong to call it a mistake given the choices Golden State had at the time. Still, after Rollins’ breakout with the Milwaukee Bucks last season, it’s fair to say the Warriors could use him now.
A reunion may not be out of the question as soon as next offseason. Rollins is set to make just $4 million while serving as Milwaukee’s lead point guard next to Tyler Herro on a rebuilding roster. With a player option coming next offseason, there’s a real path for him to test the open market.
If that happens, Golden State should have the flexibility to at least take a serious look.
For now, the Warriors are counting on Brandon Williams to fill that backcourt role. He stepped in well for Kyrie Irving with the Dallas Mavericks last season, putting up 13 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 3.9 assists while shooting 47.2% from the field in 66 games.
Williams is on a non-guaranteed deal and will have to beat out Dalen Terry for the Warriors’ 15th roster spot. Even so, he can’t be dismissed as a possible rotation piece.
Rollins, meanwhile, wasn’t exactly a revelation during his first run in Golden State. He had trouble making much of an offensive imprint in limited minutes, and at the time, his inclusion in the Poole trade did not look especially painful. Milwaukee changed the picture last season.
In 74 games for the Bucks, Rollins started 67 times and averaged 17.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 5.6 assists while hitting 40.6% of his threes on strong volume. His place in Milwaukee’s rotation appears secure for now, but the Bucks’ rebuild could eventually push them toward giving more on-ball opportunities to first-round pick Brayden Burries and former top prospect Kasparas Jakucionis. If Rollins is after a bigger payday next offseason, a parting of ways could make sense for both sides.
According to Keith Smith at Spotrac, the Warriors could have more than $70 million in cap space next offseason if Curry comes back at roughly $40 million per year instead of a full max contract. That kind of flexibility would at least give Golden State room to consider whether Rollins is worth the gamble.
For now, the answer depends on whether he keeps this breakout going. But it’s a name the Warriors will want to keep on the radar as 2026-27 approaches.
In Other News...
Steph Curry Just Got A New Spotlight Warriors Fans Will Love
A new look at Stephen Curry is headed to the big screen, and it is built to feel bigger than the usual highlight reel. The Walt Disney Company has released the trailer for a documentary directed by Gotham Chopra that aims to capture Currys creativity and discipline as a basketball player, giving Warriors fans another chance to appreciate how his game has been documented as carefully as it has been celebrated.
The film was shot on game day with 21 IMAX cameras, a detail that should make it feel closer to an event than a standard sports doc. It also follows Currys rise to 4,000 career three-point makes, a milestone that already has a place in league history and now gets a polished spotlight of its own when the project arrives exclusively in IMAX theaters on October 9. [Read more 🡒]
Warriors May Be Eyeing A Much Bigger Swing Than Fans Expected
The guard market kept moving, with Marcus Smart choosing a two-year, $12.4 million deal with Houston and the Lakers landing Collin Sexton on a two-year, $19.2 million contract while adding more depth around him. Even with those names coming off the board, the bigger ripple for Golden State may be what it is willing to chase next, because the Warriors have not sounded like a team satisfied with only incremental help as the rest of the West keeps reshuffling.
What makes the situation worth watching is the caliber of player they continue to be linked to, along with the familiar sense that Golden State is still hunting for a move that changes the ceiling rather than just the floor. There is real intrigue around how aggressive the Warriors want to be, especially with Sacramento taking a flier on Ben Simmons and the league still sorting through the fallout of other roster maneuvers, but the strongest hint yet is that the Warriors are looking far beyond the usual mid-level answers. [Read more 🡒]
Warriors Fans Just Got Pulled Into An Uncomfortable Steph Curry Debate
The Warriors next big conversation is already drifting beyond the present, even though Stephen Curry keeps saying he wants to finish his career in Golden State. On a recent podcast, Marcus Thompson II floated the idea that the front office could one day have to think about Draymond Green if the team hits a rough patch in the 2026-27 season, a reminder that even the most familiar core eventually has to answer to time, results and roster decisions.
That kind of speculation was enough to spark a wider debate online about whether Curry, Green and Klay Thompson might ultimately close their careers in different places, which would mark the end of an era that defined modern Warriors basketball. Curry remains under a one-year contract and can work toward a new deal next summer, so the immediate focus is still on keeping the present intact, even as the edges of the future start to look a little less certain. [Read more 🡒]