If there's been one loser of this offseason for the Golden State Warriors, it's Stephen Curry.
Steve Kerr returned, and the team has faithfully pursued multiple avenues to continue building the roster around him. The addition of Yaxel Lendeborg, for example, should be a major boon to the rotation.
But at the end of the day, they'll be fielding largely the same roster as last season. The same roster that fell apart when Curry went down for a large portion of the season. The same roster that required him to play at superhuman levels simply to keep them competitive.
Golden State's clearest lingering need is for a player that can help relieve some of that burden— someone who can help create off the bench and take the offense into their own hands when necessary. Gui Santos likely isn't that type of player.
But with the way the bench unit is currently shaping up, the Warriors are quietly banking on another major step from the third-year forward. If he can maintain his efficiency and interior production on a slightly more limited workload, he could quickly become one of Golden State's most important players in 2026-27.
Gui Santos isn't the creator the Warriors need off the bench— but he can provide a desperately-needed offensive punch
Last season, Santos took full advantage of the opportunity that was presented to him by the injuries to Curry, Jimmy Butler, and Moses Moody. He received a diet of 31.5 minutes over his final 26 games of the season, averaging 15.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, and four assists while shooting 34.3% from beyond the arc.
It was remarkable to see Santos become more confident in real time. With each game, his footwork in the paint and his ability read the ball movement of his teammates became more impressive. By the end of the season, he was easily one of their most important offensive contributors.
With Lendeborg on the roster, it's unclear whether Santos will start at small forward. Lendeborg has enough perimeter-shooting abilities to play routinely next to Draymond Green, and his upside as a defender is certainly higher than that of Santos.
But even if Santos ultimately comes off the bench in 2026-27, Golden State will be relying on him heavily. As it stands, the Warriors' bench unit is composed of Will Richard, De'Anthony Melton, Gary Payton II, LJ Cryer, Malevy Leons, Al Horford, and Charles Bassey.
There's certainly some intrigue there. But there's no player with the offensive upside that Santos displayed last season— at least in terms of creating their own shot and working within the flow of Golden State's offense. The Warriors desperately need Santos to continue building on what he started last season, scoring consistently on the interior and helping Golden State stay afloat offensively while Curry is off the court.
He also took major strides as a playmaker last season, which could pay dividends if paired with Melton's ball-handling abilities.
But that's a lot to ask of a player who hasn't averaged double-digit scoring over the course of an entire season. Given the way the roster is currently constructed, though, it's what must be expected of Santos heading into his fourth NBA season.
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