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Stephen Curry reacts to Krystaps Porzingis’ 3-pointer in the second half as the Golden State Warriors played the Los Angeles Clippers in an NBA play-in tournament game at Intuit Dome in Inglewood on April 15.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Carlos Avila Gonzalez\/S.F. Chronicle<\/p>\n
As Mike Dunleavy<\/a> explained it, at least, his call log is a graveyard. Deals buried six feet under, never to see the light of day. Cold calls, dangling \u201cstuff\u201d\u00a0\u2014 as Dunleavy put it\u00a0\u2014 where the other line eventually died. He tried, at least.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of guys that we really, really value that don\u2019t end up getting moved,\u201d Dunleavy told reporters earlier in August, \u201cand that\u2019s probably because\u00a0\u2014 so do those teams.\u201d<\/p>\n Trying, of course, only counts for so much in Stephen Curry<\/a>\u2019s final seasons as an offensive engine. What do they say, after all, about horseshoes and hand grenades? Two months ago, the budding expectation for swaths of Dub Nation was Anthony Davis and LeBron James<\/a>. Two months later, the stark reality is Brandon Williams<\/a> and Georges Niang<\/a>.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n With the franchise publicly announcing deals for Williams and Niang, Golden State\u2019s 15-man roster is officially set heading into training camp in late September, with little significant movement from the group that finished 37-45 in 2025-26. There are plenty of pinpricks of upside on an aging roster, though, from Williams\u2019 potential as a sparkplug to the bullish nature<\/a> of rookie forward Yaxel Lendenborg.<\/p>\n Several minor roster jostlings are left to play out through the fall, too, before the start of the season on Oct. 21 in Los Angeles<\/a>. Unless one of Dunleavy\u2019s trade propositions zombifies itself and crawls out of its casket, though, the baseline of Steve Kerr<\/a>\u2019s possible rotation options has been set.\u00a0<\/p>\n Here\u2019s a position-by-position breakdown of Golden State\u2019s group, and the controllable wrinkles that need ironing.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Backcourt<\/p>\n Two-way\/Exhibit 10 (training-camp deal):<\/strong> LJ Cryer (two-way contract), Nick Boyd (Exhibit 10), Deivon Smith (Exhibit 10)<\/p>\n Outlook:<\/strong> Curry, now 38, is still Curry, as long as he avoids aggravating the runner\u2019s knee that cost him two full months of the 2025-26 regular season. And Kerr has a variety of archetypes and youth with some upside here; this is the most stable area on the roster. Podziemski figures to start opposite Curry, with Melton and new addition Williams\u00a0\u2014 who averaged 13 points and 3.9 assists per game last year in Dallas\u00a0\u2014 should see significant regular-season minutes. Richard will push for playing time, and the 33-year-old Payton will inevitably find his way to closing games in defensive matchups.<\/p>\n How exactly does Williams fit?<\/strong> Golden State, by the burden of proof, is not exactly the cushiest landing spot for ballhandlers aiming to thrive within the Curry-Kerr ecosystem. See: Dennis Schr\u00f6der<\/a>, Chris Paul<\/a>, Jordan Poole.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Williams\u2019 usage rate (25.1%) in 2025-26 would\u2019ve ranked fourth on Golden State last year. That was just behind Melton\u2019s, and Williams was significantly more efficient offensively. He is slithery, quick and might now be Golden State\u2019s best driver to pressure the rim with Butler out.<\/p>\n \u201cIf there\u2019s an area that maybe we can address, or be better with, it\u2019s probably the interior, finishing,\u201d Dunleavy said in early August.<\/p>\n Williams is no off-ball threat, though. He\u2019s shot 28% from deep across parts of four NBA seasons. Can he stay on the court without the rock in his hands?<\/p>\n \u201cI think people will be surprised,\u201d Williams\u2019 trainer Toby Spino told the Chronicle Tuesday, \u201cwith the outside shooting.\u201d<\/p>\n Can Cryer push for time?<\/strong> Probably. The Houston product might be the best pure shooter in this group beyond Curry, and showed it in summer league: 41.3% from three on 7.9 attempts per game.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n The issue is his size: Cryer isn\u2019t a natural point guard, but stands 6-foot-1, and therefore has an awkward NBA fit. The Warriors, a source close to Cryer said, want to see him become a better defender. Plus, Cryer is not fully recovered from an ankle injury suffered at the end of last season, that source said. But Golden State will have a need for both minutes and shooting with Moses Moody<\/a> rehabbing a knee injury<\/a>, and Cryer\u00a0\u2014 on a two-way deal\u00a0\u2014 could start the season up from Santa Cruz.<\/p>\n Wings<\/p>\n On the roster:<\/strong> Jimmy Butler<\/a>, Yaxel Lendeborg<\/a>, Moses Moody, Gui Santos<\/a>, Georges Niang\u00a0<\/p>\n Two-way\/Exhibit 10:<\/strong> Malevy Leons (two-way)<\/p>\n Outlook:<\/strong> Butler (torn ACL) and Moody (torn patellar tendon<\/a>) still face extended roads to recovery after season-ending injuries in 2025-26, leaving Golden State thin here and in stark need of two-way size. Lendeborg, the Warriors\u2019 first-round pick at No. 11, will likely compete through camp with the ascending Santos for a starting spot. Golden State, meanwhile, kept a close eye on Niang\u2019s recovery this summer from a foot injury that cost him all of last season<\/a>; if healthy, the 33-year-old should offer rotational catch-and-shoot minutes.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Who fills the Butler\/Moody void?<\/strong> Dunleavy said simply that Golden State only knows the two won\u2019t be available on opening night, and both Butler and Moody appear poised to miss several months. Someone else will need to provide spacing, attack closeouts and be an occasional self-creator.\u00a0<\/p>\n Lendeborg, then, fills an immediate need.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t want to write it in Sharpie,\u201d Dunleavy said in early August, \u201cbut we\u2019re hopeful he can impact for us as a rookie right away.\u201d<\/p>\n Santos figures to get plenty of burn after a late-season surge in 2025-26, too. Niang could be a valuable piece as a catch-and-shoot threat in a variety of lineups, and keep an eye on Leons, a Netherlands native who could get an early-season look on a two-way deal.<\/p>\n What happens with Lajae Jones?<\/strong> As of now, Jones\u00a0\u2014 Golden State\u2019s second-round draft pick<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 remains unsigned. It\u2019s likely the Florida State product will slide into the final two-way spot.\u00a0<\/p>\n Bigs<\/p>\n Two-way\/Exhibit 10:<\/strong> Graham Ike (Exhibit 10)<\/p>\n Outlook:<\/strong> This group isn\u2019t getting any younger, save for 25-year-old Bassey, whom Golden State signed to a one-year deal in July. Porzingis\u2019 15-game stint in Golden State after the trade deadline was at once underwhelming and intoxicating: His play-in performance against the Clippers in April was a glimpse at the best-case scenario, with 20 points and two blocks. Golden State will likely need a more consistent regular-season effort from the 36-year-old Green to help mitigate the absences of Butler and Moody, and is relying heavily on the 40-year-old Horford, who played just 45 games last season.<\/p>\n How healthy is Porzingis?<\/strong> Kerr drummed up a wave of confusion in February after saying<\/a> and then retracting that he was told Porzingis actually didn\u2019t have postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), the condition that has reportedly plagued the big man for years. Regardless, Porzingis simply hasn\u2019t played 70-plus games in any NBA season since he was a rookie in 2015-16, and hasn\u2019t played in back-to-back games since January 2024.<\/p>\n<\/a>
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