There's no two ways about it. The Golden State Warriors are going to have to lean heavily on their star trio of Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green again in 2025-26, which of course means they'll need those guys to stay healthy. When they inevitably miss time due to injury, Golden State is going to have to have greater depth down the bench that they just don't really have right now. This is the problem Steve Kerr is no doubt already doing his best to fix.
The departure of Kevon Looney this summer left a hole not just on the court, but in the culture of the team. Looney was more than a center, he was a stabilizing force, and the kind of locker room anchor that can’t be replaced overnight. Without him, larger lineups lose sturdiness, and there’s no obvious replacement who checks all of those organizational boxes.
That’s why the whispers around players like Al Horford seem to make a lot of sense. He would bring reliability, solid shooting skill and capable interior defense, traits that mesh well with a lineup that already includes three players north of 35 years old with hefty contracts.
The Warriors need more roster depth to make a serious run
Even internally, the team is counting on its emerging young core to pick up minutes. Brandin Podziemski and Moses Moody have both flashed scoring and defensive promise, while Quinten Post offers size and effort in the frontcourt. Those players could cover some minutes and ease the pressure, but they’re still unproven in high-stakes, high-outcome stretches.
The Warriors’ approach needs to be two-fold. First, bring in role players who are already seasoned. Guys who are solid, unselfish, and ready to help at a moment’s notice. Second, lean on youth when the veterans shift into recovery mode. That may look like rotations built around Curry and Butler, with Green taking periodic rest, and younger defenders handling the grind when lines need to shift.
Steve Kerr knows how to juggle talent and recovery over long seasons. But even he can’t do it without options. This offseason’s biggest problem of finding players who can act like health insurance has become mission-critical. If Golden State wants one last chance at contending, solving that puzzle may be the most important work of the summer.