The Warriors are heading into their first real storm of the 2026-27 season, and it hit at the worst possible time.
Stephen Curry is out for at least two weeks with an oblique tear, and he’s not the only one on the sideline. Jimmy Butler, Moses Moody and Brandon Williams are also injured, while Kristaps Porzingis is unilkely to ever suit up for the Warriors again. That’s a brutal stack of absences for a team sitting at 8-4, and it leaves Golden State staring at a stretch where survival matters more than style points.
The goal now is simple: don’t let this become the kind of skid Curry has to rescue when he gets back. The Warriors may be able to patch together enough offense with Yaxel Lendeborg and Brandin Podziemski taking on more scoring responsibility, and with LJ Cryer handling major backup point guard minutes.
But the margin for error is thin. One more injury, and the whole thing could start to unravel.
That’s why the front office should be looking at immediate moves, not waiting for the perfect one to materialize.
One option is the trade market, even if the fit isn’t ideal yet. The Warriors have previously been linked to center and big-wing help, including Wendell Carter Jr., Jalen Smith and Trey Murphy III.
That was the logic when the focus was on Porzingis. Now the need is broader.
Any rotation player at any position could help, because this roster is suddenly short on reliable bodies.
A guard like Bulls guard Norman Powell would bring the scoring punch this team is missing, though acquiring him would likely require draft capital and Porzingis. A cheaper swing might be Bucks guard Ryan Rollins. The reality is that there may not be a perfect trade available right now, but a practical one could still help the Warriors get through this short-handed stretch.
There’s also the possibility of moving on from Porzingis entirely and signing Santa Cruz Warrior Dalen Terry. That would come with obvious criticism, especially because it would look like the Warriors traded Jonathan Kuminga for nothing. Still, the team does have a $20 million salary slot to work with, and that could be used to bring in someone who changes the conversation around that deal.
Terry has a case. He’s a legit NBA player, and the source of that belief is pretty clear: the best-run team in the NBA recently signed him to a contract, and the Thunder probably would have kept him a big chunk of this season had a trade for Nique Clifford not fallen into their laps days after.
He also fits a need. At 6'6", he gives Golden State a wing with some ball-handling ability, which is exactly the kind of profile that can help a team scrambling for offense.
The catch is roster mechanics. Terry is not two-way eligible, and the Warriors are so close to the second apron that they can’t simply clear a spot by releasing someone else. If they want him, the most realistic path is buying out Porzingis.
Then there’s the internal answer, which may not be flashy but could matter. Malevy Leons is at his best when he isn’t asked to do much on offense and can lean into his defensive versatility. That’s a tough fit for a Warriors team that’s about to be starved for scoring without Curry, and he won’t work in most lineup combinations under these conditions.
If Golden State wants more offense, it could look deeper into the Santa Cruz pipeline. Alex Toohey had 18 points in the G League season opener and offers size and versatility.
Deivon Smith is a more traditional point guard than Cryer and could help run the second unit. Guards Chance McMillian, Miles Kelly and Nick Boyd all bring three-point shooting that would help the Warriors space the floor better.
Any of those five would give the Warriors more offense than Leons.
In Other News...
Jimmy Butler's Rehab Just Raised A New Warriors Question
Jimmy Butlers recovery from a torn ACL has already become one of the more closely watched storylines around Golden State, and his latest step has only added another layer to it. Butler has said he wants to get into a G League game for the Santa Cruz Warriors before he makes his way back to the Warriors lineup, a plan that would give him a live-game test in a lower-pressure setting as he works his way through rehab.
For Golden State, the idea is intriguing because it would offer a clearer bridge between the training room and the NBA floor, but it still depends on medical clearance from the teams staff. Steve Kerr has welcomed the possibility, though it remains unclear whether the Santa Cruz appearance would become an official part of Butlers rehabilitation path, leaving the Warriors with one more question to sort out as his return draws closer. [Read more 🡒]
Warriors Trade Need Suddenly Feels Real After Curry Injury
Stephen Currys oblique injury has changed the temperature around Golden State almost overnight, turning a roster conversation into something far more urgent. Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints reported that the Warriors are now looking at potential trade targets such as Wendell Carter Jr. and Naz Reid as they try to steady a frontcourt that suddenly looks thinner than expected.
Carter has been performing well this season for the Orlando Magic, and the idea of adding a player with a similar profile to Kristaps Porzingis gives the Warriors a clearer sense of the type of move they may be chasing. For now, though, it remains speculative, with any real path forward depending on negotiations between Golden State and Orlando, and on how aggressively the Warriors decide to respond to Currys absence. [Read more 🡒]
Warriors Face A New Trade Problem In Porzingis Pursuit
The NBAs draft lottery reform has quietly changed the trade market, and it may be making life harder for the Warriors as they try to sort through a Kristaps Porzingis pursuit. With the incentive to bottom out reduced, fewer low-performing teams are eager to move veteran pieces, which means the usual pool of sellers is thinner than it once was. For Golden State, that can turn a straightforward search for a deal into a much narrower hunt.
So the Warriors may have to look elsewhere for a workable path, and that likely means teams dealing with financial pressure rather than teams chasing the lottery. The Phoenix Suns and Orlando Magic stand out as possible partners in that kind of framework, but the broader point is clear: this is no longer just about finding a team willing to trade, it is about finding one with the right mix of need and flexibility. [Read more 🡒]