The 26-27 Warriors Have One Roster Spot Left: Where Can They Go?
After Saturday’s moves, Golden State has nearly completed its squad for the 26-27 campaign. Following the promising re-signings of Gary Payton II and De’Anthony Melton, the team has now filled up 13 out of the 14 roster spaces the league requires before the season starts. If a franchise desires to reach the limit of players rostered, the cap set by the NBA currently sits at 15, which doesn’t include any two-way contracts. With limited wiggle room remaining, which direction can the Warriors pursue?
As of now, Golden State employs three centers, excluding Draymond Green, so it’s tough to imagine the team moving towards another big man. After removing that category from the search filters, there are approximately the same number of available guards and forwards as of early August. The Warriors also currently have an even split between these two groups, depending on how someone would classify the more hybrid athletes. Without a glaring shortage of a certain position, let’s take a look at who may make sense for Golden State to pick up.
Going to the guards first, DeMar DeRozan has still not found a new home after Sacramento released him. However, one major thing has changed since his initial buzz to the Bay, and that is the finances involved. Golden State will need a cheaper option to round out the roster, since they sit close to the second apron spending limit. Even at 36 years old, DeRozan still averaged 18 points per game, so he will most likely not agree to a veteran minimum. A more feasible option sounds to the tune of Russell Westbrook, a fellow Sacramento King who has drawn attention from the Euroleague during free agency. While on the verge of retirement, ‘Brodie’ would help the Warriors further solidify a more athletic backcourt, while using his vision to pile up assists.
The 2022 NBA Champions may also want to continue the trend of familiarity in this offseason. Seth Curry remains without a contract, and the Warriors could use another shooter to boost their backcourt. Apart from the bond with his brother, Stephen Curry, the younger brother could come back to a system he grew accustomed to last year. The 13-year veteran missed most of the 25-26 season with various injuries and suited up for just 10 games, so a comeback story is definitely in the cards here.
If the organization decided to opt for the forward route, the market unfortunately doesn’t have much to offer. The most obvious choice would be reuniting with Jonathan Kuminga, but after the turmoil and friction that eventually saw Kuminga get traded away, the two sides will only repair their bond by a miracle. With no other realistic household names left to explore, the search may pivot to someone like Kevin Love, who doesn’t fill up the stat sheet like he once used to. With this information in mind, Golden State may be better positioned to assess choices like the ones from the first group.
