While any official signings are still being held up by Jonathan Kuminga's restricted free agency, the Golden State Warriors roster is all but confirmed entering the 2025-26 NBA season.
NBA insider Marc Stein provided a major report on Monday, outlining Golden State's expected use of the six roster spots they still have available less than a week out from media day.
"Golden State currently has six roster spots open. It's believed they will be filled by (Al) Horford, (De'Anthony) Melton, (Gary) Payton (II), Stephen Curry's younger brother Seth, second-round pick Will Richard and, of course, Kuminga," Stein wrote on his Substack.
Curry and Richard's additions at the end of the roster are notable, especially when it gives the Warriors an even greater glut of two-guards that suggests a consolidation trade is needed even before training camp begins.
Warriors must consolidate the shooting guard position mid-season
Four of the reported six signings to come are shooting guards, or at least three are if you want to exclude Payton from the group given he sort of plays his own unique position. When you add that to incumbents Brandin Podziemski and Buddy Hield, there's a lop-sided nature to the roster that will need to be addressed at some point.
There's already five or six two-guards on the roster, and that's not including the possibility of Jimmy Butler and/or Moses Moody sliding down to that spot which may now be possible thanks to the versatility of Horford in the front court.
Richard might be a complete non-factor and shouldn't be viewed as a legitimate rotation option at this point, but it wouldn't be totally shocking to see the 56th overall pick put his hand up with a strong training camp and some notable preseason performances.
The younger Curry could prove a major swing factor in what the Warriors could do with the roster -- is Seth still a capable 15-minute per game rotation player on a playoff-contending team, or is he nothing but a feel-good story who in reality will spend plenty of nights stapled to the bench?
If it's the former then the Golden State back court will only become more crowded, especially if Melton can also return from his long-term knee injury in positive fashion. Something will have to give, perhaps in the form of finding an upgrade in a different position using Hield's $9.2 million salary.
There's still a lot of things that need to take place early on before a trade is truly considered, but one look at this expected roster makes you wonder what might happen with the back court by season's end.