Is it truly over for the Golden State Warriors? It hasn't been for a lack of trying, but the Warriors no longer look like they have a shot at competing for a title. Jimmy Butler's season-ending injury practically sealed the Dubs' fate: what little chances they had in competing for a championship vanished when Butler hyperextended his knee and tore his ACL on an errant pass from Brandin Podziemski.
The Warriors' two timeline gambit has not worked. James Wiseman was a bust. Jonathan Kuminga has not met expectations. Moses Moody is a role player, a quality one, but not a star who can take over the team. Jordan Poole flamed out and irked one of the franchise's pillars in Draymond Green. And now, the Dubs are stuck with a middling and aging roster that is about to have their work cut out for them in the gauntlet that is the Western Conference.
Credit must go where credit is due; the Warriors are not throwing in the towel just yet. They traded for Kristaps Porzingis in a deal that saw them send Kuminga and Buddy Hield to the Atlanta Hawks, taking on the risk that Porzingis' talent is worth betting on despite his season-long battle against POTS.
This trade created a roster spot for the Warriors, although they did already fill one of their open roster spots by converting Pat Spencer's contract into a standard deal, a move that was worth doing considering how important Spencer has been in covering for the team's injury problems.
The Dubs created another roster spot when they traded Trayce Jackson-Davis to the Toronto Raptors for a second-round pick. With that in mind, the Warriors may have another move left to pull off to beef up for the stretch run that lies ahead.
Warriors to scour the buyout market?
Before diving into potential targets the Warriors could set their sights towards to fill their open roster spot, their financial situation must be taken into account. At present, the Warriors have a total of $205.2 million allotted for their player payroll, which has them above the tax apron. They are a repeater tax-paying team, which would only serve to make their luxury tax penalties that much more punitive.
This also reduces their flexibility on the buyout market. The Warriors cannot sign any player on the buyout market whose contract this season was worth at least $14.1 million (equivalent to the non-taxpayer MLE) due to them being above the first apron. There aren't too many buyout candidates making that much money anyway so it's not like that would be a huge factor for the Dubs moving forward.
The Dubs do not need help at the guard positions. Beyond Stephen Curry, the Warriors have the following to play minutes at the one and the two: Podziemski, De'Anthony Melton, Spencer, Gary Payton II, and Will Richard. Seth Curry could also be a factor once he returns from injury.
If anything, the Warriors need help on the wing. Butler's injury and Kuminga's departure has depleted the Dubs' depth at the position even further, thrusting Gui Santos into a starter role. Santos has been more than solid and it looks as though he's established himself as a quality role player at the very least, but their depth on the wing leaves a lot to be desired.
The Warriors were rumored to be interested in Lonzo Ball, but Ball has looked washed up all season long, and while he can play up a position, he doesn't necessarily provide anything that much different from the liked of Payton or Melton. He could be a play initiator, and his court vision is still top-notch, but the Dubs may be best served reserving their open roster spot for someone else.
The current buyout market doesn't inspire much confidence. Among those who've been waived already, someone like Chris Boucher makes the most sense. Boucher is also a former Warriors player, so that could count for something.
Even then, Boucher didn't play well enough to earn minutes for the Boston Celtics despite their wide-open position battle at center, and it's not like the Dubs need help at the big man spots considering that they have Green, Al Horford, Quinten Post, and now Porzingis to fill in all of the minutes at the five.
Among players who could conceivably be bought out, someone like Kyle Anderson or Nicolas Batum makes the most sense for the Dubs, although it's not quite clear if both of them would receive the go-signal from their teams to leave.
The Dubs could bring back a familiar face
Batum is not likely to leave the Los Angeles Clippers. The veteran credits the team for saving his career back in 2020, and he is clearly in love with the franchise. Moreover, the Clippers value having him around as a veteran presence, and he's been rumored to be hanging up his sneakers after the season. LA already let him go once, and they're not doing that again.
This brings the Warriors to a potential reunion with a familiar face in Anderson. Slow-Mo signed with the Dubs prior to the 2024-25 season, and he was traded to the Miami Heat in the deal that brought Butler to the Bay. He played 36 games for the Warriors and started three games, playing 15.0 minutes a night.
Anderson is the kind of cerebral veteran that Kerr tends to rely on, and his playmaking, defense, and feel for the game makes him an easy piece to integrate for the Dubs.
He's not going to be a very impactful veteran for the Warriors, but he should at least give the team extra insurance at the forward positions. The Memphis Grizzlies are also punting on the 2025-26 campaign, which means that Anderson could very well get bought out, paving the way for a return to the Bay.
It's not clear, however, if the Warriors have any desire to fill their open roster spot. That would only add to their luxury tax bill. But if they do, bringing Anderson in may not be the worst idea in the world.
