The Golden State Warriors have made plenty of difficult roster decisions over the course of the last few seasons. During the 2023 offseason, they traded Ryan Rollins to the Washington Wizards as part of the deal that got them Chris Paul. Now, Warriors fans are watching with regret as Rollins looks like one of the most improved players in the NBA with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Rollins is averaging 17.0 points this season on 47% shooting and 38% from three. He's started 26 games for the Bucks while dishing out 5.9 assists a night as well. He's certainly one of the leading candidates in the Most Improved Player award conversation. No one could have reasonably seen Ryan reaching this kind of level when he left the Warriors, but that doesn't make this any less painful for the fanbase.
What makes this sting even more for Golden State is how cleanly Rollins would fit into what the Warriors are missing right now. This team has struggled to find consistent secondary creation behind Stephen Curry, and too often the offense stalls once defenses load up on him late in games.
Rollins has developed into a confident downhill guard who can score at all three levels while keeping the ball. Those skills are necessities in today’s NBA, especially for a roster that leans so heavily on one offensive engine.
The Warriors could use Ryan Rollins' talent right about now
At the time Golden State traded Rollins, the decision was understandable. The Warriors believed Chris Paul could stabilize their offense and help them extend their championship window. The problem is that the window has narrowed faster than expected, while Rollins has quietly blossomed since leaving. Watching him thrive in a defined role with Milwaukee only highlights the Warriors' difficulty in producing meaningful internal development.
Rollins never lacked talent in Golden State, but his opportunity was very limited. In Milwaukee, he has been empowered to attack and to learn on the fly. The result has been one of the more dramatic leaps in the league this season.
This isn't about assigning blame or pretending the Warriors should have predicted this outcome, it's about acknowledging a pattern. Golden State has repeatedly struggled to balance patience with urgency, often sacrificing long-term upside for short-term stability. Sometimes that works, and other times it leaves you watching a former player become exactly what you now need.
For a franchise that built its dynasty on internal growth and player development, it's hard to ignore the irony here. Rollins’ rise is a reminder that talent development is rarely linear, and that letting go of young players too early can come with a steep cost.
Right now, Warriors fans are left watching another team reap the rewards of a player who once wore their jersey, and wondering how different things might look if timing and opportunity had aligned just a little bit differently.