5 Warriors on current roster who could be out of the rotation to start the season
The Golden State Warriors have had a busy offseason to date, headlined by the heart-wrenching departure of franchise legend Klay Thompson to the Dallas Mavericks.
The franchise did move to quickly find high-level role players, adding versatile forward Kyle Anderson and sharpshooter Buddy Hield in the same sign-and-trade that sent Thompson to the Mavericks. They also acquired what could prove one of the best value signings of the entire offseason in former Philadelphia 76ers guard De'Anthony Melton, with the 26-year-old joining on a one-year, $12.8 million contract in free agency.
A deep roster already suggests a number of capable rotation players could see their playing time limited with the Golden State Warriors
Speaking to reporters in Las Vegas on Friday, Golden State general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. stated (via Anthony Slater), “I like our team but there’s also some things we can look at to improve it."
The Warriors have a major issue right now -- they need a 2-for-1 or 3-for-1 consolidation trade that adds greater star power in lieu of the significant depth they currently possess. Golden State have 12 players, perhaps even 13 or 14, who could take to the floor next season and not look out of place.
As much as their current roster will be able to cover injuries and other issues that will inevitably come throughout a long regular season, it could also provide rotation headaches for Steve Kerr in a way it already had last season.
That's what makes a consolidation trade important, with their eyes currently on Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen. However, if the 2023 All-Star remains in Salt Lake City or is traded elsewhere, the Warriors are unlikely to rush towards other options and could hope that something materializes during next season.
That would leave the Golden State set with their current roster, making for an intruging battle for rotation spots entering training camp. Assuming Kerr opens the season with a nine or 10-man rotation, let's look at some players who could be on the outside looking in, starting with a recent acquisition.