As the Conference Finals continue to ramp up, the Golden State Warriors are at home watching on the couch for the second time in three seasons. It's a disappointing reality given what the expectations were this season.
Of course, injuries deserve a large share of the blame for the Warriors' 37-45 finish and ultimate defeat at the hands of the Phoenix Suns in the Play-In Tournament. Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody both suffered season-ending injuries, and the entire roster was banged-up by the time they reached that point.
But the reality is that this roster, as it was constructed in 2025-26, likely would not have stood a chance against the behemoths of their conference. As the Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs face off in the Western Conferece Finals, here's what Steve Kerr had to say, speaking exclusively to NBC Sports Bay Area, about his impressions of the series:
“I don't think it's worth sitting here trying to figure out right now how we're going to compete with San Antonio and OKC,” Kerr said. “These teams are young and athletic and playing at a really high level. There's no magic formula to this. So, we have to use the summer to get better with the process, add to the roster, tighten things up where we can tighten them up, give ourselves the best chance to win and then see what happens.” Steve Kerr
For the Warriors, a trade for a star is always on the table. But what Kerr's statement reveals is a deeper truth.
Even with a potential blockbuster trade, the Warriors must simply aim to build sustainably this offseason and surround Stephen Curry with enough depth to stand a fighting chance.
The Warriors need to enter this offseason with tempered expectations
As long as Curry is on the roster, this will be a frustrating way to look at things. He's certainly still one of the league's premier players, and there's no argument that, given different financial and roster circumstances, he could quickly elevate a team into genuine championship contention.
But the Spurs and the Thunder will only continue to get better. With the way they've played through the first two games of their series, it doesn't truly seem as though any team in the NBA could compete with them.
Kerr's expectations for this offseason, therefore, are actually highly optimistic, although they might sound negative in tone.
Golden State will have more financial flexibility this offseason than they've had recently, but they'll still be relatively limited. They'll have nearly $70 million tied up in players who won't be active until at least the middle of next season in Butler and Moody. They'll also have to deal with the potential of Draymond Green picking up his $28 million player option.
It's likely, at this point, that the depth of the roster is all they're able to truly reconstruct. Seth Curry is likely gone, as is Pat Spencer. De'Anthony Melton's future is also in question as he's likely to decline his player option this offseason.
If they can bring in the right combination of pieces and perhaps pull off a trade for a star, they'll be able to at least put themselves on the fringes of the championship conversation. That's all Steve Kerr can ask for, and it's the best-case scenario for the Warriors this offseason.
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