The Warriors are heading into 2026-27 with more questions than answers, and that opens the door for a few young names to grab real footing fast.
Stephen Curry is still the engine, but the support around him comes with baggage. Jimmy Butler is working back from a torn ACL and is expected to return around the start of the next calendar year, while Kristaps Porzingis is dealing with a mystery illness that has left his opening-night status in serious doubt. That leaves Golden State short on offense and looking hard at its younger pieces to help carry the load.
Brandin Podziemski feels like the clearest candidate to make a jump. Since entering the league in 2023, he’s built a reputation as a hustle guy, a steady playmaker and someone who doesn’t shy away from big moments.
The Warriors clearly believe there’s more there, too - they passed on trade opportunities involving more established names such as Lauri Markkanen and Paul George, and later gave Podziemski a five-year, $110 million extension. That’s a loud vote of confidence.
The production has moved in small steps rather than one big leap. His scoring has risen every year, but only by two points per game at a time, and he still hasn’t averaged more than two made threes per contest in a season.
Even with Curry missing time last year, Podziemski started only 43 of 82 games. Still, the setup for this season looks more favorable.
The Warriors are taking the ball out of Draymond Green’s hands more often, which should create more touches for a guard in the motion offense. De’Anthony Melton is his main competition for the starting shooting guard spot, but Melton’s injury history could leave Podziemski with the heavier workload anyway.
No one should be stunned if he lands around 17 to 18 points per game, plays more than 30 minutes a night for the first time, and bumps up his three-point volume.
Then there’s Yaxel Lendeborg, who is stepping into the league with real expectations attached. Golden State took him 11th overall in this year’s draft, banking on a player who could contribute right away despite his age.
At 24, the Michigan rookie already looks ready for that challenge. He opened preseason with just four points, but then ripped off three straight strong scoring outings, averaging 19 points in about 24 minutes per game.
Lendeborg brings size and force at 6-foot-9 with a 7-foot-3 wingspan, and the early preseason signs have shown a versatile scorer who can attack off the dribble, finish through contact and stretch the floor. He’s hitting 38.4% from three in four preseason games so far.
His path to this point is unusual, too: he didn’t begin organized basketball until he was 17, in the middle of his senior year of high school. With Butler sidelined, the Warriors have a real opening for a two-way scoring wing, and Steve Kerr is pushing Lendeborg to be even more aggressive.
Rookie or not, he’s set up to matter.
Charles Bassey may be the sneaky fit in the frontcourt. He’s been on the move since the 2021-22 season and was on three different teams last year before finishing with Golden State.
With Porzingis sidelined, Bassey could start the season with a meaningful role, especially with Al Horford now 40 and Green not looking to be in great shape. At 25, Bassey gives the Warriors some needed youth, athleticism and energy at center.
He showed that in Golden State’s 101-89 preseason win over the Los Angeles Lakers, finishing with eight points, 12 rebounds and three blocks in 27 minutes. That kind of interior presence is exactly what the Warriors have been missing. With Kerr forced to get creative around a depleted roster, Bassey has a real chance to post the most productive season of his career.
In Other News...
Warriors Suddenly Have A Yaxel Lendeborg Concern Fans Can't Ignore
Yaxel Lendeborgs preseason night against the Lakers came with a scare when he turned his ankle, a jolt the Warriors could have done without as they continue sorting out their rotation. He did return briefly, and afterward he said the injury was not severe and sounded optimistic about where things stood, which at least offered some immediate relief for a team already trying to get its roster into shape before the regular season.
Still, any issue involving a player under consideration to start is worth watching closely at this point in camp, especially with Golden State also managing other injuries across the roster. The Warriors need these final preseason reps to help clarify roles, and Lendeborgs status will be part of that picture until the team gets a better sense of how he responds in the days ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Warriors Just Made A Tough Roster Call Fans Will Debate
The Warriors trimmed their roster by waiving guard Miles Kelly and bringing in forward Tyler Burton, a move that comes after Kelly had turned in a strong preseason and looked like he had at least made his case. Golden State announced the transaction in an official team statement, signaling another round of roster shuffling as the club continues sorting out its options before the season settles in.
Burton arrives with some NBA experience after previously spending time with the Memphis Grizzlies on 10-day contracts, and he now gets his own chance to compete for a spot in mid-October. For a team still fine-tuning the edges of the roster, the call says as much about fit and opportunity as it does about performance, which is why this one figures to draw plenty of debate from fans who were hoping Kellys preseason would carry more weight. [Read more 🡒]
Warriors May Have A New Rookie Dilemma After Lakers Scare
A preseason scare in Los Angeles briefly put the Warriors on edge when rookie Yaxel Lendeborg appeared to twist his left ankle, only to head back into the game after a quick evaluation. The moment served as a reminder of how much Golden State has already leaned on the first-round pick, who has been one of the more steady presences in camp and is quickly looking like more than just a developmental piece.
Lendeborgs response was the kind of answer teams like to see in October, finishing with 17 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals in 26 minutes. For a player selected No. 11 overall in the 2026 NBA Draft, the bigger question now is less about whether he belongs and more about how the Warriors manage his growing preseason role as the games start to matter a little more. [Read more 🡒]