The Golden State Warriors have spent this offseason leaning into what their roster already is: older, familiar, and still built around the same core. That approach has included a big swing for LeBron James that didn’t land, followed by a move to keep Draymond Green in place.
Green’s return came quickly after the James chase fell short. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported, “Draymond Green has agreed to return to the Golden State Warriors on a one-year, $27.7 million deal, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul tells ESPN. The contract is the same Green opted out of to give the Warriors flexibility to pursue LeBron James, but the sides land his return Tuesday," ESPN Shams Charania wrote.
So far, Golden State has mostly stayed in the lane of continuity. The team has brought back Green, Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford, De’Anthony Melton, and Gary Payton II this summer, a clear sign the Warriors are choosing to run it back after missing the playoffs last season, as NBA writer Jake Weinbach posted.
Even with that familiar group, there still may be room for one more notable addition. Blue Man Hoop’s G.C. Bellchamber pointed to Bradley Beal as a name worth watching for Golden State, especially because the backcourt remains thin behind Stephen Curry.
“But there's also room to argue that a backcourt addition is more pressing given their depth beyond Stephen Curry. As of now, they have Brandin Podziemski, De'Anthony Melton, and LJ Cryer to fill out their guard rotation, while Will Richard will play the two-spot at times.
As long as that need remains open, Bradley Beal is worth taking a look at- even if that would be a polarizing addition at this point in the offseason. But if it works out from a financial perspective, Beal could be the exact type of offensive burst Golden State needs off the bench,” Bellchamber wrote.
That’s the appeal here for the Warriors: another scorer who can take pressure off Curry and give the offense a different gear. Beal’s health would be the key, but if he can stay on the floor, he would bring the kind of scoring punch and shooting Golden State still needs.
In Other News...
Warriors Are Asking Too Much Of Stephen Curry Again
The Warriors are heading into the season with a familiar look and familiar concerns, carrying over much of the same roster that finished with 37 wins a year ago while making little real change around the edges. Two of the teams highest-paid players will open the year injured, which only adds to the pressure on an aging group already trying to manage the usual wear-and-tear risks that come with a veteran core.
Stephen Curry is still the one healthy player who can be trusted to organize the offense and keep the scoring afloat, but that has become its own burden. When he is once again the primary answer as both shot-maker and ball-handler, it is fair to wonder how much Golden State is asking of him and whether the rest of the roster can do enough to keep the season from becoming another exercise in survival rather than contention. [Read more 🡒]
Warriors Offseason Leaves One Big Problem Hanging Over This Core
The Warriors spent the offseason leaning even harder into experience, and the result is a roster built around veteran names rather than a fresh wave of talent. Al Horford, Jimmy Butler and Kristaps Porzingis all arrived as part of a push to stay competitive now, a direction that has left Golden State looking like one of the oldest teams in the league while also narrowing the margin for error around Stephen Currys late-prime window.
Golden State also came up short on the margins that matter when a team tries to keep extending its competitive life, missing out on LeBron James and losing Quinten Post to the Memphis Grizzlies. The bigger issue is what comes next: the Warriors do not have much draft capital or youthful depth to make a clean turn if this core stalls, and with Curry and Butler both heading toward 40, the front offices choices feel increasingly tied to a timeline it cannot fully control. [Read more 🡒]
Kevin Durant Just Took A Strange Shot At The 2017 Warriors
Kevin Durant made a familiar conversation flare up again during a USA Basketball event, then doubled down on Threads, saying the 2026-27 Philadelphia 76ers are as good on paper as the 2016-17 Warriors. He pointed to the recent MVP awards and All-Star honors around Philadelphia as part of the case, which is the kind of comparison that instantly invites debate when the standard is a Golden State team that rolled through that season with an unusually deep, star-heavy roster.
For Warriors fans, the bigger intrigue is less about whether the comparison holds and more about what Durants framing says about how he remembers that title run in Oakland. The piece contrasts the players achievements and roles on both teams, and the comment can also be read as a subtle swipe at some of Durants former teammates, even if he did not spell that out. [Read more 🡒]