So, it might not be a Giannis Antetokounmpo summer?
Mike Dunleavy told reporters on Monday about the Warriors' offseason plans as the 2025 NBA Draft nears, and the general manager let it be known that merely attempting to bring one or some of the league’s biggest names to San Francisco will be quite challenging because of Golden State’s financial situation.
"Only because just of our salary structure and the way it works with the amount of money you can use underneath the second apron,” Dunleavy said. “That probably restricts it more than anything for us in terms of pursuing the best roster we can.
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"I think we'll look at stuff. We'll look at players that we really like that may -- we've just got to be -- it's just almost impossible for us to add players in the salary range of guys we were looking at last summer since we've added Jimmy.”
The Warriors are pretty handcuffed when it comes to pursuing stars.
Entering the 2025-26 NBA season, Golden State has $139.63 million, or 90.2 percent of the salary cap, committed to stars Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green alone. And that’s before calculating a possible contract extension with restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga.
Though the limitations won’t stop Dunleavy and the Warriors from searching. A trademark of the Curry era, Golden State always finds itself tied to the NBA’s brightest stars, whether on the free-agent market or through trade rumors.
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"That would be the only limiter,” Dunleavy said about Golden State’s hands being tied after acquiring Butler. “But in terms of finding talent, improving this team, we're going to look under every rock to try and do that."
The Warriors' best option might just be to re-sign Kuminga, as his development paired with improved chemistry probably is the most affordable “upgrade.”
But if there’s one thing Golden State’s vintage free-agent acquisition of Kevin Durant taught Dub Nation and the league, it’s that the Warriors shouldn’t ever be counted out in bids for top players.
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