September has brought an unusual air of urgency to the Golden State Warriors. While other teams across the Western Conference have rounded out their rosters and shifted their focus toward camp, the Warriors remain in limbo. The Jonathan Kuminga restricted free agency saga has dragged on for weeks, leaving the front office paralyzed. As negotiations stall, with Kuminga weighing whether to accept the team’s three-year, $75.2 million offer or test the market further, the Warriors find themselves with only 10 players officially under contract.

Al Horford and De’Anthony Melton are expected additions once this ordeal ends, but the larger issue looms over everything: Golden State’s inability to make definitive moves in what could be the final years of Stephen Curry’s career as a superstar. The context makes this even more painful. Kevon Looney, the trusted center who anchored their frontcourt during multiple playoff runs, is gone after signing with the New Orleans Pelicans. The team has had a quiet offseason, a fact that feels less like strategy and more like wasted time when viewed through the lens of Curry’s diminishing window.

With Draymond Green aging and Jimmy Butler no longer the nightly guarantee he once was, every year counts. Golden State cannot afford to rely solely on internal development or hope Kuminga suddenly resolves his contract drama. To maximize Curry’s last chance at contention, trades will almost certainly need to define their season. Three names stand out as targets who could shift the calculus for a franchise teetering between mediocrity and one last title push.

Jerami Grant: A two-way forward who balances the roster

If the Warriors are searching for a trade that immediately balances their roster and addresses glaring frontcourt concerns, Jerami Grant is perhaps the most logical candidate. The Trail Blazers, despite Damian Lillard’s surprising return this year, remain firmly in transition. Portland has one eye on the future and could be convinced to move off Grant’s contract in exchange for picks and young players like Brandin Podziemski or Moses Moody. Golden State, meanwhile, desperately needs a versatile forward who can guard multiple positions while also providing reliable scoring alongside Curry.

Grant is not a superstar, but his value to a contender is obvious. He averaged around 14 points per game last season while shooting efficiently from three and offering switchable defense across both forward spots. Unlike Kuminga, whose inconsistency has frustrated the coaching staff, Grant provides a known commodity: a veteran who can be trusted in playoff minutes. With Looney gone, Draymond needing to preserve energy, and Horford’s age limiting his regular-season usage, Grant could serve as the Warriors’ de facto safety net in the frontcourt.

The contract is hefty, but that is the price Golden State must pay in today’s market. Adding Grant would not only stabilize their rotation but also send a clear message to Curry and the locker room: the front office is willing to spend resources to chase another ring.

Myles Turner: The rim protector and floor spacer

If the Warriors’ Achilles heel has been exposed in recent seasons, it’s their inability to protect the rim consistently once Looney sits or Draymond is forced into foul trouble. This was evident during stretches against the Lakers and Nuggets, when Golden State lacked the size to contend with elite big men. Myles Turner, one of the league’s best shot-blockers and a reliable three-point shooter, fits their needs like a glove.

Turner’s combination of rim protection and floor spacing is rare in today’s NBA. He anchors a defense with his timing and size while avoiding the offensive limitations that often plague traditional centers. Imagine Curry running pick-and-rolls with Turner, stretching defenses thin while also knowing that Turner will be waiting on the other end to clean up mistakes defensively.

If Golden State puts together a package centered on Kuminga’s rights or other movable assets, Turner becomes a realistic option. His arrival would instantly elevate the Warriors’ ceiling, providing them with a modern big man who solves two problems at once. For a team watching Curry’s clock tick, this could be the difference between a first-round exit and a legitimate conference finals push.

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Zach LaVine: A scoring jolt to relieve Curry

While the Warriors’ identity has always been built on spacing and movement, they lack a reliable second scorer who can take the pressure off Curry for stretches. The current roster does not offer a true perimeter shot-creator outside of Curry, which makes Zach LaVine an intriguing target.

For Golden State, he could be a gamble worth taking. LaVine’s ability to score at all three levels would give the Warriors another weapon to punish defenses that trap Curry relentlessly. His athleticism would also inject new life into a team that often struggles to create easy baskets when the threes aren’t falling.

The concerns are valid: LaVine’s contract is expensive, and his defensive effort is inconsistent. Yet, Golden State has always been able to cover for limited defenders when the offensive upside is significant. Adding LaVine would allow Curry to pace himself, giving the Warriors a second option who can carry the scoring load for entire quarters. In a Western Conference loaded with perimeter firepower: Luka Dončić in the Lakers, Anthony Edwards in Minnesota, Devin Booker in Phoenix, the Warriors cannot expect Curry alone to outgun the opposition. LaVine may not be the perfect fit, but he could be the high-ceiling swing that elevates them back into the conversation.

The urgency of now for the Warriors

Golden State’s current predicament is the byproduct of hesitation. By letting Kuminga’s restricted free agency dictate their offseason, they’ve sacrificed valuable time in what might be Curry’s last real window. The Western Conference will not wait for them: Denver, Minnesota, and Phoenix have only grown stronger, while up-and-coming teams like the Clippers and Memphis threaten to leap ahead. Standing pat is not an option.

Jerami Grant, Myles Turner, and Zach LaVine each offer something the Warriors lack: stability in the frontcourt, rim protection and spacing, or scoring insurance for Curry. None are easy gets, but trades never are when contention is on the line. What matters is the willingness to take risks, even if it means parting with young talent or draft picks. Curry deserves nothing less than a roster capable of fighting for a title, not a team stuck in the mud over one contract dispute.

The Warriors must decide quickly. Training camp is two weeks away, their roster is incomplete, and Curry is not getting younger. If the front office truly values the legacy of this core, then bold moves, not patience, will define their 2025-26 season.