3. Kevon Looney
Following a career-year in 2022-23, Kevon Looney took a major step backwards last season as Golden State's over-reliance on him seemingly took its toll physically. After losing his starting role by late January, the 28-year-old's playing time was further limited by the emergence of rookie center Trayce Jackson-Davis.
Over the final 34 games of the season, Looney saw eight DNP's and played less than 12 minutes on a further 20 occasions. He did show some signs of life at times, particularly in the third-last game against the Portland Trail Blazers where he had nine points, 11 rebounds, two steals and four blocks in 21 minutes.
Despite having his contract guaranteed for next season, Looney appears behind a number of alternative front court options. If Golden State start Andrew Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga and Draymond Green as many expect, that would leave Jackson-Davis coming off the bench which further impedes the nine-year veteran's chances of a consistent rotation role.
4. Gary Payton II
Gary Payton II was one of the unsung heroes in the franchise's 2021-22 championship run, but has since been plagued by injuries that's seen him limited to just 66 of a possible 164 regular season games over the past two years.
The 31-year-old remains an impact player as one of the best perimeter defenders in the league, yet his days as a nightly rotation player may be in short supply. The acquisition of De'Anthony Melton gives the Warriors much of the same defensive capacity, while being a far greater offensive threat on the perimeter.
If Payton remains on the roster entering the season, he could still prove very valuable but perhaps more so in a situational role rather than a guaranteed 15-20 minutes per game as in the past.
Looney and Payton may be veterans with extensive playoff experience, but their omission from the rotation wouldn't be as controversial as a teammate on the other side of their career: