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With just 10 players on their 2025-2026 roster at the end of July, the Golden State Warriors have a lot of work to do over the next few months. While several marquee names are still available in free agency, the Warriors have to consider bringing back versatile guard Taran Armstrong after a strong showing in the 2025 NBA Summer League.
Armstrong has had a strange start to his career, but has done enough thus far to earn a second chance. After two years at California Baptist, he decided to return home to Australia to pursue a professional career. Armstrong spent one year in Australia before returning to the United States when Mike Dunleavy Jr. gave him a shot with Golden State.
Armstrong ended the 2024-2025 season with the Warriors after signing a two-way deal late in the year. Golden State extended a qualifying offer to him at the same time as Jonathan Kuminga, but Armstrong remains a free agent. Without much reporting on what the holdup might be, the two sides might have agreed to wait until after the Summer League to negotiate a new deal. If that is the case, the team has to have been impressed by what they saw.
Nobody on the Warriors' Summer League team took over as the No. 1 option, but Armstrong was arguably their best overall player. As a 6-foot-5 point guard, Armstrong is a natural playmaker who rarely demands the ball, but always makes something happen when he gets it. In five games across the California Classic and Las Vegas Summer League, Armstrong averaged 7.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.2 steals per outing while shooting 36.8 percent from deep.
The Warriors' roster is not as bare as it currently seems, with rookies Alex Toohey and Will Richard still unsigned. Toohey will likely receive a standard contract, with Richard potentially inking a two-way deal. Either way, the Warriors need to find a way to bring Taran Armstrong back to their 2025-2026 roster following his performances at the 2025 NBA Summer League.
Taran Armstrong can make Warriors' 2025-2026 roster
Given the Warriors' current roster construction, Taran Armstrong has a clear shot at making the team. Golden State's focus on Kuminga is clearly delaying the process, but the Aussie should be on a standard contract by opening night.
The Warriors' current roster is one of the most top-heavy in the league. They gave Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler lucrative extensions during the 2024-2025 season, a series of moves that financially restrict them over the next two seasons. Regardless of what happens on the court, Golden State will not be making any further major moves until the 2027 offseason.
Curry and Butler will both make north of $54 million per season for the next two years. When factoring in Draymond Green's contract, the Warriors owe their top three stars a combined $286 million over the next two seasons. With Buddy Hield and Moses Moody also signed through the 2026-2027 season, Golden State has no choice but to fill its roster with players like Armstrong, who will be available to sign on team-friendly deals.
Armstrong proved in the 2025 NBA Summer League that he is more than just a cheap roster filler. Although he is not a dominant scorer, the Warriors do not need that on their roster with Curry and Butler leading the way. Instead, Armstrong's knack for impacting the game in multiple facets is much more valuable, as Steve Kerr's offense operates best with multiple playmakers on the floor.
As the Warriors continue to focus on resolving Kuminga's situation, their free agency options continue to thin. Golden State might not have many other possible signings to make, but Armstrong is arguably one of the biggest hidden gems still on the market.
Taran Armstrong can make an impact in 2025-2026
The Warriors have been one of the most interesting teams to monitor in the 2025 offseason, but there is no secret as to how they will look in 2025-2026. Despite constant concerns about their ages, Curry and Butler will still lead the show in their first full season together.
Although neither player has shown many signs of slowing down, Father Time slowly crept up to both men in the playoffs. The Warriors are acutely aware of the tight window they have to capitalize on the Curry-Butler duo and will go all-in on the upcoming season. Having a player like Armstrong, who seems primed for a bigger role, alleviate some pressure off their top two stars would do wonders for their championship aspirations.
Whether it is a career journeyman like Shaun Livingston or a budding star like Jordan Poole, the Warriors always seem to have one role player burst onto the scene each year. Without a true backup point guard on the roster, Armstrong could certainly receive enough opportunities to be that guy in 2025-2026. While he failed to grace the court as a rookie, Armstrong could very well become a solidified member of Kerr's rotation in year two.
