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SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — After bowing out in the second round of the playoffs, the Golden State Warriors are entering the offseason with their most significant addition already made for the 2025-26 season.
A midseason acquisition of Jimmy Butler ignited a strong finish to the season; however, that momentum came to an unexpected halt when star Stephen Curry suffered a hamstring injury, resulting in four consecutive losses to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Moving forward, the Warriors are optimistic that a full campaign featuring Butler alongside Curry and Draymond Green will provide coach Steve Kerr with the essential lineup to contend in the highly competitive Western Conference.
“We made a substantial improvement by bringing in Jimmy Butler,” general manager Mike Dunleavy stated on Friday. “A year ago, I had concerns about our ability to secure a second star. This year, we addressed that issue, and I feel much more confident heading into the next season with Jimmy on our side. Overall, I believe we are much better positioned now compared to last year, and we will continue to make progress. As long as Steph, Draymond, and our coach Steve maintain their high level of play, we will keep chasing championships.”
The impact of Butler’s arrival from Miami was immediate. The Warriors held a record of 25-26 when he debuted in February, ultimately finishing the season with a combined 27-8 record across the regular season, play-in tournament, and playoffs with both Butler and Curry on the court.
With this duo, the Warriors felt they had a legitimate chance to contend for another title until Curry’s hamstring injury occurred during a Game 1 victory against the Timberwolves.
Following Curry’s injury, the Warriors dropped their next four games and couldn’t extend the series long enough for him to return, lacking offensive options in his absence.
“He’s our sun. In our solar system, he’s the sun. You won’t replicate Steph anytime soon,” Kerr remarked. “So the conversation around needing to alter our offensive strategy seems quite humorous. What we’ve been doing has proven to be extraordinarily effective. Steph is undeniably one of the greatest players of all time, still performing at a very high level. We’ll continue with our current approach because changing it would not serve our team well.”
Significant questions loom this offseason, particularly regarding how to build around the star trio, with Jonathan Kuminga’s status being the most uncertain.
Kuminga enjoyed a promising start to the season before an ankle injury sidelined him for 31 games. During his absence, the Warriors acquired Butler, and upon his return, Kuminga struggled to find his place, seeing minimal playing time — if any — during the playoffs before Curry’s injury.
In the final four games, Kuminga averaged 24.3 points, showcasing the potential that could make him a sought-after player as he becomes a restricted free agent this summer.
The Warriors hold the option to match any offer he receives but may consider a sign-and-trade deal, using Kuminga as leverage to address other roster needs with players who integrate better with Curry, Butler, and Green. Kerr noted Kuminga’s situation late in the season as, “a square peg in a round hole.”
“Overall, he’s a talented player with a lot of potential,” Kerr assessed. “He’s still maturing and remains somewhat raw in certain aspects, but a lot of what we need to determine revolves around roster construction and how combinations work together. Basketball is inherently a five-man game, and finding effective combinations has proven to be challenging.”
Another pressing need for the Warriors is to add more shooters to open up the floor and increase their size across the lineup, which is essential for handling larger perimeter players and strengthening their defensive presence, enabling Green to play power forward rather than center as he did late last season.
“I don’t want to kick off next season with Draymond as our starting center,” Kerr expressed. “It can work for the last 30 games as we did this year, but it does take a toll on him. He has acknowledged it as well.”
