{"id":113867,"date":"2025-08-27T13:54:25","date_gmt":"2025-08-27T13:54:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/113867\/"},"modified":"2025-08-27T13:54:25","modified_gmt":"2025-08-27T13:54:25","slug":"the-warriors-need-to-fill-their-roster-do-these-10-free-agents-fit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/113867\/","title":{"rendered":"The Warriors need to fill their roster. Do these 10 free agents fit?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Want the latest Bay Area sports news delivered to your inbox? Sign up here<\/a> to receive regular email newsletters, including \u201cThe Dime.\u201d<\/p>\n

Have you heard the Warriors are the only team in the NBA yet to make an offseason move?\u00a0<\/p>\n

Steph Curry has.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cFor real?\u201d he joked<\/a> on Aug. 15 at his Curry Camp event in Menlo Park.\u00a0<\/p>\n

As the Jonathan Kuminga contract stalemate continues<\/a>, the Warriors\u2019 roster still has just nine players. Their unfinished depth chart looks something like this:\u00a0<\/p>\n

Guards: Steph Curry, Brandin Podziemski, Buddy Hield<\/p>\n

Forwards: Jimmy Butler, Moses Moody, Gui Santos<\/p>\n

Bigs: Draymond Green, Quinten Post, Trayce Jackson-Davis<\/p>\n

The Warriors are widely expected to add veterans Al Horford and De\u2019Anthony Melton whenever they resolve Kuminga’s restricted free agency.<\/p>\n

The fits there are obvious. Horford\u2019s ability to space the floor on offense and play a versatile role on the other end of the floor can make him a lineup chameleon. He should be able to play with and without Draymond Green while opening up driving lanes from the perimeter for players such as Brandin Podziemski and Moses Moody. Melton, meanwhile, showed how impactful he can be as a two-way guard in his six-game stint to start last season.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Melton and Horford would make 11. Kuminga \u2014 if the Occam\u2019s Razor outcome of remaining a Warrior holds \u2014 would give Golden State 12 players. Assuming the Warriors roster one of their two second-round rookies, Will Richard or Alex Toohey, the team could have two vacant spots to play with.\u00a0<\/p>\n

There are several free agents remaining \u2014 some big names, even \u2014 in a strange offseason that has skidded to a halt. Examining how they may or may not fit with Golden State is a useful exercise in thinking about the Warriors\u2019 roster as it takes shape.<\/p>\n

The stars<\/p>\n

Ben Simmons, 29, forward<\/p>\n

The former Rookie of the Year and three-time All-Star is just 29 years old, but injuries and his unorthodox game have made his career unfold unceremoniously.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Simmons enjoyed some memorable moments last year in his 18-game stint with the Clippers after getting bought out by Brooklyn. He was most impactful as a backup center, using his size, defensive versatility, and playmaking to operate as a small-ball five.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In theory, perhaps Simmons doing a Draymond Green impression for five-minute bursts could work. But sharing the court with Jonathan Kuminga, Jimmy Butler, or Green would create a spacing nightmare.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Simmons still has talent and is an elite defender, but he really, really doesn\u2019t want to shoot \u2014 don\u2019t get tricked by the annual offseason workout videos \u2014 or get to the foul line. That makes his fit anywhere clunky, and Golden State is no exception.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Verdict: Only if you squint really, really hard\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"The Warriors need reliable play-makers off the bench, but Simmons hasn’t played all that much in recent seasons. | Source: Kavin Mistry\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Russell Westbrook, 36, guard\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Chris Paul experiment of 2023 proved the Warriors can handle the addition of a future Hall of Famer into their ecosystem.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Westbrook, the former MVP, is beloved around NBA locker rooms, too. But that\u2019s about where the parallels end.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Westbrook was in a perfect role last year with Denver, playing off Nikola Jokic and filling in for Jamal Murray when he was sidelined. Fans of Westbrook should root for a Denver reunion at this stage of his career.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Like Simmons, Westbrook would be another non-shooter who needs the ball. His energy and intensity are unmatched in the NBA, but there\u2019d be nowhere for him to play in the halfcourt off the ball (even if he has grown as a screener in recent years). It would make more sense for the Warriors to let Butler and Brandin Podziemski handle second-unit playmaking responsibilities than to turn bench lineups over to Westbrook and his all-gas-no-brakes style.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Warriors need less chaos, not more.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Verdict: Surely not<\/p>\n

Malik Beasley, 28, guard<\/p>\n

Last season\u2019s Sixth Man of the Year runner-up is the best unrestricted free agent available. He\u2019s only still unsigned because he was named as a person of interest in a federal gambling probe right before free agency opened.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Now, he\u2019s no longer a target of that U.S. Attorney\u2019s investigation, according to his lawyers, so his market may reopen.\u00a0<\/p>\n

At this point in the offseason in which no team has remaining cap space, Beasley will likely have to settle for a veteran\u2019s minimum contract. And if he\u2019s cleared to play, he could become one of the biggest bargains in the league.\u00a0<\/p>\n

For Detroit, Beasley averaged 16.3 points per game while shooting 41.6% from behind the arc. He made 319 3-pointers, one shy of Anthony Edwards for the league lead. Any team would sign up for that kind of threat from deep.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Verdict: Yes, if he\u2019s in the clear legally and in the eyes of the league office.<\/p>\n

\"\"Michael Beasley could be a cheap scoring option if he’s cleared to play in 2025. | Source: Thearon W. Henderson\/Getty ImagesLinked to the Warriors<\/p>\n

Seth Curry, 35, guard\u00a0<\/p>\n

ESPN\u2019s Anthony Slater has reported<\/a> that there\u2019s \u201cmutual interest\u201d between the Warriors and Curry, and it doesn\u2019t take a genius to guess why.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Steph and Seth haven\u2019t been teammates since they overlapped for a year at Charlotte Christian High School. Pairing up the brothers would be a sentimental touch on the final era for the Warriors\u2019 greatest player ever.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Adding Seth wouldn\u2019t just sell jerseys and feed the content machine. Seth led the league in 3-point percentage (45.6%) last year and is a career 43.3% marksman from beyond the arc. Imagine the split action between the Curry brothers.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Seth has had injury issues, playing more than 65 games in just three of his 11 seasons. He also wouldn\u2019t help the Warriors get any younger. But as a plug-and-play option with no concerns of baggage, Seth would be a solid addition.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Verdict: Would be more than just cool\u00a0<\/p>\n

Malcolm Brogdon, 32, guard<\/p>\n

The Stein Line\u2019s Jake Fischer linked<\/a> Brogdon to Golden State. Brogdon remains unsigned after barely playing last year for the tanking Wizards.\u00a0<\/p>\n

As a low-risk floor general, Brogdon could be a nice contrast to Curry and Green\u2019s occasional looseness. But his medical bill includes ankle, foot, achilles, back, thumb, and hamstring injuries.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Brogdon has played more than 60 games just twice since his rookie season. The Warriors already have aging or injury-prone players who will need to be managed through the regular season. They therefore should probably prioritize availability with their final roster spots more than the average team.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Verdict: Not worth the risk<\/p>\n

Gary Payton II, 32, guard<\/p>\n

The Warriors know what they\u2019re getting with Gary Payton II when he\u2019s available: tough on-ball defense, smart off-ball cutting and an innate ability to play with Steph Curry.\u00a0<\/p>\n

He\u2019s just not always available. His games played total the past three seasons: 62, 44, 22.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

He possesses institutional knowledge and the trust of Steve Kerr. Does that give him the edge over, say, a younger and bigger player like Dalano Banton?\u00a0<\/p>\n

Verdict: Sure\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"AGary Payton II has long been a favorite of Warriors coach Steve Kerr. | Source: Getty ImagesUnder the radar options<\/p>\n

Dalano Banton, 25, guard<\/p>\n

Defend, run the floor, and rebound.\u00a0<\/p>\n

That\u2019s what Dalano Banton excels at, and that\u2019s what the Warriors would ask of him.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The 6-foot-9 guard has had moments for the Blazers over the past two seasons even as he still develops his outside jumper. As a slasher and ace defender, perhaps he could be a GPII facsimile. He\u2019s younger and probably more reliable at their respective points of their careers, but is less of a known commodity in a Warriors context. Banton would also have to improve as a cutter, as he has been most effective with the ball in his hands.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Warriors would be right if they think they already have a 6-foot-9 energy wing on the roster who rebounds and dives for loose balls in Gui Santos. But Banton has much more playmaking juice and is a more stout defender.\u00a0<\/p>\n

If Golden State\u2019s objective is to fill out the back-end of the roster with role players who can complement its stars, Banton makes a lot of sense. It doesn\u2019t hurt that he\u2019d make them younger and more athletic. The most impactful players don\u2019t have to be the sexiest names.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Verdict: See the vision?\u00a0<\/p>\n

Precious Achiuwa, 25, C\u00a0<\/p>\n

The undersized center has turned himself into one of the best rebounders in the league (91st percentile defensive rebounding rate, 72nd percentile offensive rebounding rate) and played important playoff minutes for the Knicks two years ago.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Achiuwa is a complete non-threat from the perimeter, though, so spacing would be a real concern. Bigs generally can struggle acclimating to Golden State\u2019s offensive system, and Achiuwa doesn\u2019t represent a hand-in-glove fit.\u00a0<\/p>\n

There\u2019s probably not enough upside to warrant crowding out young centers Trayce Jackson-Davis and Quinten Post.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Verdict: Trust the internal, younger bigs\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Precious Achiuwa’s shooting struggles could complicate his fit with Golden State.\u200b | Source: Elsa\/Getty Images <\/p>\n

Cody Martin, 29, wing\u00a0<\/p>\n

The lesser-known Martin brother had one outlier shooting season in 2021-22, when he recorded a 38.4% clip from behind the arc. His career 30.8% mark is more indicative of his track record.\u00a0<\/p>\n

A hard-nosed 6-foot-5 wing, Martin can definitely defend and rebound. But he doesn\u2019t have great size for his position and has been an inefficient scorer for almost all of his career.\u00a0<\/p>\n

At this stage in Martin\u2019s career, he\u2019s probably in the camp invite\/non-guaranteed zone.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Verdict: Could do better\u00a0<\/p>\n

Markelle Fultz, 27, guard\u00a0<\/p>\n

One of the most bizarre careers for a No. 1 overall pick is fizzling out.\u00a0<\/p>\n

After years of physical and mental hurdles, Fultz had appeared to turn the corner in Orlando, but he struggled to make the most of his opportunity in Sacramento toward the end of last season. The Kings, desperate for a point guard after trading De\u2019Aaron Fox, signed Fultz after the trade deadline. But the bouncy guard ended the season with a string of DNPs and only averaged 8.8 minutes in his 21-game trial run.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Firmly in win-now mode and with a need for dependable bench options, the Warriors aren\u2019t in a position to take a flier on a player like Fultz.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Verdict: Not a chance<\/p>\n

Copy link to this article<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>