The Golden State Warriors finished the 2024-25 regular season with 48 wins and the No. 7 seed in the West.
They made some noise in the playoffs by defeating the Houston Rockets in seven games. But after Stephen Curry strained his hamstring in Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Warriors quickly bowed out in five games.
Warriors General Manager Mike Dunleavy expressed areas of weakness, such as shooting and size, that need to be addressed this offseason. Other areas of need that the Warriors could address are acquiring another secondary ball handler and a third scorer who can help alleviate pressure off a 37-year-old Curry.
Salary Cap/Warriors Flexibility
The Warriors have $170,932,327 in total salary accounted for on their roster. The first apron is set at $195,946,000, and the second apron is $207,825,000. Assuming they don’t want to lose Jonathan Kuminga — who is a restricted free agent and expected to make north of $20 million — the Warriors are expected to be in the first apron.
Being in the tax is not unfamiliar territory for Golden State. Since 2012, the Warriors have spent almost double the amount in tax money than the next team. Given the Warriors’ track record, they are expected to exhaust all options in order to improve this roster.
If Kuminga and the Warriors agree to part ways, they can work together via a sign-and-trade to help benefit both parties.
Sign-and-Trade Option No. 1: Coby White
Another intriguing option via sign-and-trade that the Warriors should pursue is Coby White.
White is coming off a career year, averaging 20.4 points per game on 45.3/37.0/90.2 splits. White has really established himself as a legit scorer in this league over the past two seasons.
This past season, the Warriors struggled with their half-court scoring due to their lack of ball handlers and shot creators on the roster. White kills two birds with one stone as he is more than capable of being a ball handler and has proven to be a very proficient shot creator throughout his career. White’s three-point range, combined with his quick first step, gives the Warriors a dynamic that they sorely lack.
Another reason the Warriors should pursue White is that he aligns with the team’s win-now timeline. The Warriors must pivot to acquire more experienced players this offseason, rather than relying on their young talent, which has backfired over the last few seasons.
White has been relatively healthy throughout his six-year career, which is extremely important during an 82-game regular season with a relatively older roster. White’s offensive impact would help alleviate pressure off Curry and help this Warriors offense reach new heights.
Sign and Trade Option #2: Cameron Johnson
An intriguing option for the Warriors to pursue in strengthening their roster is acquiring Cameron Johnson.
Johnson, too, is coming off a career year, averaging 18.8 points on 47.5/39.0/89.3 shooting splits. Standing at 6-foot-8 and 210 pounds, Johnson provides the Warriors with much-needed size in the frontcourt.
To acquire Johnson’s services, a sign-and-trade deal with Kuminga would be required. Johnson is slated to earn $21,057,065 for the upcoming 2025-2026 season, which aligns with the projected contract value that Kuminga is expected to receive this offseason.
The Nets have been reported to be high on Kuminga in the past, so a deal that involves him and a future first-round pick could intrigue Brooklyn.
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Throughout his six years in the NBA, Johnson has established himself as one of the league’s better shooters, boasting a career three-point percentage of 39.2%. He is also someone who offers versatility, specifically defensively, as he is capable of guarding 2-4. Johnson’s high-level shooting, versatility and basketball IQ would make him a seamless fit under Steve Kerr in Golden State.
Like White, Johnson fits the Dubs’ win-now window. He is in his prime at 29 years old and has 37 games of playoff experience, including a Finals run with the Suns in 2021.
Johnson should be at the top of the Warriors’ bucket list this summer.
Sign and Trade Option #3: Andrew Wiggins
A reunion with Andrew Wiggins would be unexpected, but it isn’t entirely out of the picture.
The Heat have been reported to be a team interested in Kuminga’s services and could only obtain him through a sign-and-trade deal. After struggling the year prior in Golden State, Wiggins had a nice bounce-back year this season, averaging 18.0 points on 45/37/76 shooting splits.
Wiggins is beloved in Golden State by the entire organization and the fans. He was able to revive his career in Golden State after being perceived widely by the public as a bust. Wiggins is most known for his 2022 season, where he was named an All-Star Starter and played at an exceptionally high level in the postseason, helping the Warriors win the 2022 NBA Championship.
In the Finals, Wiggins averaged 18.3 points, 8.8 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.5 blocks per game, while simultaneously shutting down Jayson Tatum.
The Warriors never wanted to trade Andrew Wiggins, but had to in order to have a chance to win now. The impact Wiggins had on and off the court was paramount in winning games and establishing the Warriors’ culture. A Wiggins reunion would help shore up some of the Warriors’ needs from a size, shooting, and athleticism standpoint.
Free Agency
Free agency is always another avenue that the Warriors will use to improve their roster.
Due to being over the cap and expected to be in the first apron, however, the maximum amount of money the Warriors can offer is the Taxpayer MLE. Since the Warriors are expected to be in the first apron, Golden State can use the Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception at $5,685,000.
Brook Lopez
Brook Lopez is someone the Warriors have already reportedly expressed interest in.
Lopez averaged 13.0 points and 5.0 rebounds per game on 50.9/37.3/82.6 splits this season. Lopez is currently 37 years old and has remained relatively productive despite a physical decline over the last few years.
Even though Lopez is still a good rim protector — averaging 1.9 blocks a game this past season — he’s not the same defensive force as he once was. It was evident in the Bucks’ last two playoff series that he was a liability in transition, which severely hurt the team.
Despite his decline defensively, Lopez would be useful for Golden State due to his strong floor-spacing ability, which is rare to find from someone standing at 7-foot-1.
Bruce Brown
Bruce Brown is an experienced guard who played a pivotal role in helping the Denver Nuggets win the 2022-23 championship. Since then, he has been traded twice and hasn’t quite played up to par as he did a few seasons ago. Brown, still 28 years old, could still be a very impactful role player for a team looking to contend.
Brown’s calling card in the NBA has been his defense. His versatility defensively, being able to guard 1-3 and providing physicality at the point of attack, is intriguing. Brown is also a very good rebounder for a 6-foot-4 guard, averaging 4.2 rebounds for his career.
On the offensive side of the ball, Brown is a solid connective piece for any contender, evident by his 2.5:1 assist-to-turnover ratio. The key for Brown to become a super-effective role player once again is his three-point shooting. For his career, Brown is a 33.7% long-range shooter. Since shooting a career high of 35.8% from three in his lone season at Denver, he has mirrored more of his career averages.
De’Anthony Melton
De’Anthony Melton could potentially be another player the Warriors consider for a reunion.
Melton only played six games with the Warriors last season, but his seamless fit was apparent. Melton is a high-IQ veteran guard who is a good point of attack defender and can shoot the long ball at a high clip.
Throughout his career, Melton’s issue has been his injury history. He suffered a partially torn ACL this past season and has dealt with back injuries in previous seasons. Due to Melton’s injury history, Golden State may be able to sign him to a bargain deal for the veterans’ minimum.
Free agency begins Monday night and the Warriors are sure to be active from the beginning.
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