The Warriors are already looking past the current grind and toward a summer that could reshape everything.
Even with injuries piling up to Jimmy Butler, Moses Moody, and Kristaps Porzingis, Golden State has managed to stay in the mix thanks to Steph Curry and Yaxel Lendeborg. But according to Jake Fischer, the bigger story is what the Warriors believe they can do next: position themselves for a swing at a true headliner in 2027 free agency.
Fischer said on SiriusXM that Golden State is still thinking like a destination franchise, and that Nikola Jokic is very much on the radar.
“The Warriors are one of those teams out there like, ‘Are we sure Jokic isn’t going to become available next summer?’ They are one of those teams that hopes… ‘We could have max cap space, and we have Steph Curry…’ There was a quote from someone who’s around the building who said that the Warriors still believe they are a destination,” said Jake Fischer on SiriusXM. They didn’t get Giannis, and Kevin Durant didn’t want to go back, but they believe that they will be able to attract, whether it be a trade or on the open market, someone big next summer.”
That belief traces back to the Curry era, which turned Golden State from a team on the fringe into one of the league’s premier brands. The Warriors’ success changed how stars viewed the franchise, and the organization has kept chasing that next big splash ever since.
The results haven’t always matched the ambition. Golden State has missed on max-level names such as Kevin Durant, Damian Lillard, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and LeBron James, while also watching pieces of its championship core move on, including Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole.
Still, the Warriors have reasons to think they can make another run at the top of the market. Curry remains the centerpiece, and Lendeborg’s emergence has given the team another sign that something workable is in place. The idea, from Golden State’s point of view, is simple: land one more star and the whole picture changes.
Jokic is the dream. And the Nuggets’ situation is exactly why teams are watching closely.
At 31, Jokic has already said the right things publicly, but the patience question is starting to hang over Denver. Since the 2023 title, the Nuggets have stumbled, frustration has reportedly grown, and extension talks have been delayed. That leaves the door open for Jokic to opt out and hit free agency in less than 10 months.
Denver’s 4-3 start has only added to the attention around him. If Jokic ever became available, Golden State would have a clear pitch: a center opening, a max-cap-space path, and Curry waiting on the other side. And with Jokic putting up 23.4 points, 9.7 rebounds, 9.3 assists, 2.1 steals and 1.1 blocks per game while shooting 50.4% this season, there’s no mystery about why the Warriors are watching so closely.
In Other News...
Klay Thompson Just Gave Warriors Fans A First They Never Saw
Klay Thompson keeps finding new ways to add to a career that already had a long list of big moments, and this one came in a uniform Warriors fans never expected to see him wear. Playing for the Miami Heat, Thompson delivered his first career game-winning three-pointer in the final five seconds, lifting Miami to a 117-116 win over the Los Angeles Clippers and adding another late-game chapter to a rsum that was already packed with clutch shots and playoff memories from Golden State.
For Warriors fans, the odd part is how long they watched Thompson thrive in the biggest moments without ever getting this exact finish. He scored 30 points in the game and helped carry the Heat alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo, but the lasting image was the shot at the buzzer-window, the kind of moment that somehow had never happened before for one of the leagues most familiar sharpshooters. [Read more 🡒]
Warriors Still Have One Big Center Question As Graham Ike Waits
The Warriors are still sorting through their center options, and the picture remains unsettled even as the season moves along. Draymond Green, Al Horford, Charles Bassey and Graham Ike all sit in the mix, giving Golden State a few different looks but no clear long-term answer in the middle. Bassey helped himself with a promising recent showing, which at least gave the staff something tangible to weigh as it keeps evaluating the rotation.
Ike, meanwhile, remains the name to watch because he has not had enough floor time to really establish whether he can be part of the solution. The Warriors would still like to reshape the position before the trade deadline, with the goal of moving Kristaps Porzingis contract and turning that into a more dependable center option. For now, though, the search continues, and the uncertainty at the spot is still one of the more important roster issues hanging over the team. [Read more 🡒]
Warriors Face A Draymond Decision That Could Define Stephs Last Run
Yaxel Lendeborg has quickly become part of the reason the Warriors have looked sharper this season, giving Golden State a useful jolt as the roster tries to keep pace in a crowded West. The rookies impact has even drawn outside attention, with Bill Simmons going so far as to compare his play to mid-2010s LeBron James, a lofty nod that underscores how much buzz he has generated around the team.
At the same time, the bigger conversation around Golden State is still centered on the kind of roster move that could reshape everything around Stephen Currys final run. There is speculation about a deal that would send Draymond Green, Kristaps Porziis and a future draft pick to Sacramento for Domantas Sabonis, who reportedly wants out of the Kings, and the idea alone speaks to how high the stakes have become for a franchise balancing present urgency with long-term risk. [Read more 🡒]