1 move the Warriors still need to make to fill out the roster after the 2026 NBA trade deadline

Is it really over for Golden State Warriors? It wasn’t for lack of trying, but the Warriors no longer look like they have a chance to compete for a title. Jimmy Butler’s season-ending injury virtually sealed the Dubs’ fate: What little chance they had of competing for a championship vanished when Butler sprained his knee and tore his ACL on an errant pass from Brandin Podziemski.

The Gambit of two Warrior timelines it didn’t work. James Wiseman was a disaster. Jonathan Kuminga did not live up to expectations. Moses Moody is a player, quality, but not a star who can take over the team. Jordan Poole flared up and upset one of the pillars of the franchise in Draymond Green. And now, the Dubs are stuck with a middling and aging roster that will soon have their work cut out for them in the backwaters of the Western Conference.

Credit must go where credit is due; The Warriors aren’t throwing in the towel just yet. They traded for Kristaps Porzingis in the deal that sent them Kuminga and Buddy Hield for the Atlanta Hawkstaking the risk that Porzingis’ talent is worth betting on despite his season-long battle with POTS.

The trade created a roster spot for the Warriors, though they had already filled one of their open roster spots by moving Pat Spencer’s contract into a standard contracta move worth making given how important Spencer has been in covering the team’s injury woes.

The Dubs created another roster spot when they traded Trace Jackson-Davis to the Toronto Raptors for a second-round pick. With that in mind, the Warriors may have one more move left to make in order to strengthen themselves for the long run ahead.

Warriors to scour the buyout market?

Before getting into the potential targets the Warriors could target to fill their open roster spot, their financial situation must be considered. Right now, the Warriors have a total of of the $205.2 million allocated for their player payroll, which has them above the tax rate. They are a repeat tax-paying team, which would only serve to make their luxury tax penalties that much more punishing.

This also reduces their flexibility in the buyout market. The Warriors cannot sign any players on the buyout market whose contract this season was worth at least $14.1 million (the equivalent of the non-taxable MLE) because they are above the first floor. There aren’t too many buyout candidates making that much money anyway, so it wouldn’t be a huge factor for the Dubs moving forward.

The Dubs don’t need help at the guard positions. Aside from Stephen Curry, the Warriors have the following minutes to play on the one and two: Podziemski, De’Anthony Melton, Spencer, Gary Payton II and Will Richard. Seth Curry could also be a factor when he returns from injury.

If nothing else, the Warriors need help on the wing. Butler’s injury and Cuminga’s departure further weakened the Dubs at the position, pushing Gui Santos into the starting role. Santos has been more than solid and looks like he’s established himself as a quality player to say the least, but their depth on the wing leaves a lot to be desired.

It was rumored that the Warriors were interested in Lonca Ballbut Ball has looked depleted all season, and while he can play the position, he doesn’t necessarily provide anything much different than Payton or Melton. He could be a playmaker, and his court vision is still top-notch, but the Dubs might be best off reserving their open roster spot for someone else.

The current buyout market does not inspire much confidence. Among those already rejected, someone like Chris Boucher makes the most sense. Boucher is also a former Warriors player, so that might count for something.

even then Boucher did not play well enough to earn minutes for the Boston Celtics despite their wide-open center battle, and it’s not like the Dubs need help in the big spots considering they have Green, Al Horford, Quinten Post, and now Porzingis to fill all the minutes at the five.

Among the players who could can be redeemedsomeone like Kyle Anderson or Nicolas Batum makes the most sense for the Dubs, though it’s not entirely clear whether either would get the signal from their teams to leave.

The Dubs could bring back a familiar face

Batum is unlikely to leave the Los Angeles Clippers. The veteran credits the team with saving his career in 2020 and is clearly in love with the franchise. Furthermore, the Clippers value his presence as a veteran, and there are rumors that he will hang up his cleats after the season. LA already released him once, and he won’t do it again.

This leads the Warriors to a potential reunion with a familiar face in Anderson. Slow-Mo signed with the Dubs before the 2024-25 season and was traded to the Miami Heat in the deal that brought Butler to the Bay. He played in 36 games for the Warriors and started three games, playing 15 minutes a night.

Anderson is a kind of cerebral veteran that Kerr relies on and his play, defense and feel for the game make him an easy piece to integrate for the Dubs.

He won’t be a very impactful veteran for the Warriors, but he should at least provide the team with additional insurance at the forward positions. The Memphis Grizzlies are also dealing with the 2025-26 campaign, meaning Anderson could be bought out, clearing the way for a return to the Bay.

However, it’s unclear if the Warriors have any desire to fill their open roster spot. That would only increase their luxury tax bill. But if they do, bringing in Anderson might not be the worst idea in the world.