When the LeBron James sweepstakes came to an end, the Golden State Warriors still had a little wiggle room— at least in theory.
They hadn't yet signed Draymond Green to his one-year, $27.7 million contract. Although they were likely always going to pay him his due after their pursuit of James fell through, the cap sheet at least looked relatively clear before the move became official. They followed that up by bringing Gary Payton II back on a one-year, veteran minimum contract and finalizing their re-signing of De'Anthony Melton that was reported earlier this offseason.
They now have just $5 million standing between them and the second apron and two remaining open roster spots. In all likelihood, they'll look to fill just one of those with a veteran minimum contributor, leaving the second one open for any in-season moves or the conversion of a two-way contract.
The signing of Payton, for better or worse, fills Golden State's lingering need in the backcourt behind Stephen Curry, Melton, Brandin Podziemski, and Will Richard. Now, the focus for that final roster spot should crystallize on an addition in the frontcourt— it simply remains to be seen what type of player they'll seek out.
The Warriors need to make one more addition this offseason— and another forward is their best bet
Say what you will about the current shape of the Warriors' backcourt. But with Payton in the fold and LJ Cryer on a two-way contract, they've likely done everything they can for that area of the roster.
In the frontcourt, though, the absences of Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody will linger painfully over much of the regular season. The Warriors currently have Draymond Green, Yaxel Lendeborg, Gui Santos, and two-way player Malevy Leons to take on minutes at the two forward spots. They need someone who, at the very least, can provide some defensive juice off the bench and remain reliably available.
Their options are, of course, limited at this point in the offseason.
Both Kelly Olynyk and Georges Niang have been floated as potential options on the veteran minimum. Olynyk was essentially out of the rotation with the San Antonio Spurs last season, appearing in just 42 games and averaging 8.6 minutes. Niang started last season with the Utah Jazz before getting shipped to the Memphis Grizzlies at the trade deadline, but he didn't suit up for either team. The last time he played in the NBA was in 2024-25 with the Atlanta Hawks.
DeMar DeRozan could be an option as well. The Warriors need a player who can provide some relief when Curry goes to the bench. DeRozan is, at the very least, a capable scorer. But it remains to be seen if he'll be willing to accept a veteran minimum contract this offseason. It will ultimately depend on what shape his market takes as the offseason continues to unfold.
Perhaps another peripheral contributor, like Maxi Kleber or Trendon Watford (who's eyeing a move to Spain this offseason), will arise as a match for the Warriors.
But no matter what type of player they want to target, their penultimate roster spot should go toward addressing their need in the frontcourt.
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