As Mike Dunleavy explained it, at least, his call log is a graveyard. Deals buried six feet under, never to see the light of day. Cold calls, dangling "stuff" - as Dunleavy put it - where the other line eventually died. He tried, at least.
"There's a lot of guys that we really, really value that don't end up getting moved," Dunleavy told reporters earlier in August, "and that's probably because - so do those teams."
Trying, of course, only counts for so much in Stephen Curry's final seasons as an offensive engine. What do they say, after all, about horseshoes and hand grenades? Two months ago, the budding expectation for swaths of Dub Nation was Anthony Davis and LeBron James. Two months later, the stark reality is Brandon Williams and Georges Niang.
With the franchise publicly announcing deals for Williams and Niang, Golden State's 15-man roster is officially set heading into training camp in late September, with little significant movement from the group that finished 37-45 in 2025-26. There are plenty of pinpricks of upside on an aging roster, though, from Williams' potential as a sparkplug to the bullish nature of rookie forward Yaxel Lendenborg.
Several minor roster jostlings are left to play out through the fall, too, before the start of the season on Oct. 21 in Los Angeles. Unless one of Dunleavy's trade propositions zombifies itself and crawls out of its casket, though, the baseline of Steve Kerr's possible rotation options has been set.
Here's a position-by-position breakdown of Golden State's group, and the controllable wrinkles that need ironing.
BackcourtOn the roster: Stephen Curry, Brandin Podziemski, De'Anthony Melton, Brandon Williams, Gary Payton II, Will Richard
Two-way/Exhibit 10 (training-camp deal): LJ Cryer (two-way contract), Nick Boyd (Exhibit 10), Deivon Smith (Exhibit 10)
Outlook: Curry, now 38, is still Curry, as long as he avoids aggravating the runner's knee that cost him two full months of the 2025-26 regular season. And Kerr has a variety of archetypes and youth with some upside here; this is the most stable area on the roster. Podziemski figures to start opposite Curry, with Melton and new addition Williams - who averaged 13 points and 3.9 assists per game last year in Dallas - should see significant regular-season minutes. Richard will push for playing time, and the 33-year-old Payton will inevitably find his way to closing games in defensive matchups.
How exactly does Williams fit? Golden State, by the burden of proof, is not exactly the cushiest landing spot for ballhandlers aiming to thrive within the Curry-Kerr ecosystem. See: Dennis Schröder, Chris Paul, Jordan Poole.
Williams' usage rate (25.1%) in 2025-26 would've ranked fourth on Golden State last year. That was just behind Melton's, and Williams was significantly more efficient offensively. He is slithery, quick and might now be Golden State's best driver to pressure the rim with Butler out.
"If there's an area that maybe we can address, or be better with, it's probably the interior, finishing," Dunleavy said in early August.
Williams is no off-ball threat, though. He's shot 28% from deep across parts of four NBA seasons. Can he stay on the court without the rock in his hands?
"I think people will be surprised," Williams' trainer Toby Spino told the Chronicle Tuesday, "with the outside shooting."
Can Cryer push for time? Probably. The Houston product might be the best pure shooter in this group beyond Curry, and showed it in summer league: 41.3% from three on 7.9 attempts per game.
The issue is his size: Cryer isn't a natural point guard, but stands 6-foot-1, and therefore has an awkward NBA fit. The Warriors, a source close to Cryer said, want to see him become a better defender. Plus, Cryer is not fully recovered from an ankle injury suffered at the end of last season, that source said. But Golden State will have a need for both minutes and shooting with Moses Moodyrehabbing a knee injury, and Cryer - on a two-way deal - could start the season up from Santa Cruz.
WingsOn the roster:Jimmy Butler, Yaxel Lendeborg, Moses Moody, Gui Santos, Georges Niang
Two-way/Exhibit 10:Malevy Leons (two-way)
Outlook:Butler (torn ACL) and Moody (torn patellar tendon) still face extended roads to recovery after season-ending injuries in 2025-26, leaving Golden State thin here and in stark need of two-way size. Lendeborg, the Warriors' first-round pick at No. 11, will likely compete through camp with the ascending Santos for a starting spot. Golden State, meanwhile, kept a close eye on Niang's recovery this summer from a foot injury that cost him all of last season; if healthy, the 33-year-old should offer rotational catch-and-shoot minutes.
Who fills the Butler/Moody void? Dunleavy said simply that Golden State only knows the two won't be available on opening night, and both Butler and Moody appear poised to miss several months. Someone else will need to provide spacing, attack closeouts and be an occasional self-creator.
Lendeborg, then, fills an immediate need.
"I don't want to write it in Sharpie," Dunleavy said in early August, "but we're hopeful he can impact for us as a rookie right away."
Santos figures to get plenty of burn after a late-season surge in 2025-26, too. Niang could be a valuable piece as a catch-and-shoot threat in a variety of lineups, and keep an eye on Leons, a Netherlands native who could get an early-season look on a two-way deal.
What happens with Lajae Jones? As of now, Jones - Golden State's second-round draft pick - remains unsigned. It's likely the Florida State product will slide into the final two-way spot.
BigsOn the roster:Draymond Green, Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford, Charles Bassey
Two-way/Exhibit 10: Graham Ike (Exhibit 10)
Outlook:This group isn't getting any younger, save for 25-year-old Bassey, whom Golden State signed to a one-year deal in July. Porzingis' 15-game stint in Golden State after the trade deadline was at once underwhelming and intoxicating: His play-in performance against the Clippers in April was a glimpse at the best-case scenario, with 20 points and two blocks. Golden State will likely need a more consistent regular-season effort from the 36-year-old Green to help mitigate the absences of Butler and Moody, and is relying heavily on the 40-year-old Horford, who played just 45 games last season.
How healthy is Porzingis? Kerr drummed up a wave of confusion in February after saying and then retracting that he was told Porzingis actually didn't have postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), the condition that has reportedly plagued the big man for years. Regardless, Porzingis simply hasn't played 70-plus games in any NBA season since he was a rookie in 2015-16, and hasn't played in back-to-back games since January 2024.
That last point will likely continue. But Golden State is staking a two-year, $40 million deal on its medical team's ability to properly preserve Porzingis.
"We looked at it extensively, what's going on, how we can help him, how we can be better," Dunleavy said. "And I just think the things we've discussed and look at and worked through lean in the direction of him having a healthier year."
When Porzingis is on the floor, Kerr can roll out an assortment of five-out lineups - say, Curry-Podziemski-Lendeborg-Niang-Porzingis - or have him operate from the high post and attack favorable matchups.
SubscribeThere’s more to San Francisco with the Chronicle. Subscribe today for just 25¢.This article originally published at Warriors 2026-27 roster analysis: Williams' fit, Porzingis' health among key questions.
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