Warriors offseason recap and early season preview: Continuity over change

The Golden State Warriors were in the mix for Giannis Antetokounmpo and LeBron James, but in the end, their big offseason addition was ... Yaxel Lendeborg? Now four seasons removed from the fourth NBA championship of the Stephen Curry era, the Warriors are facing questions about whether they can be a contender during Curry's final years. The return of Jimmy Butler III from his torn ACL will certainly help bolster the lineup, but heading into the season, the Warriors seem to be far removed from the title tier among Western Conference teams. ESPN's staff of experts is looking back at the offseason and taking an early look at the 2026-27 season for all 30 teams, with 30 pieces -- one for every team -- rolling out each weekday through Sept. 18. We're answering the biggest looming questions, evaluating X factors and much more for all 30 teams. Quick links: Roster | Depth chart | Transactions More Warriors coverage | More NBA Offseason at a glance Key additions: Yaxel Lendeborg, Brandon Williams, Georges Niang Key subtractions: Quinten Post, Pat Spencer Key retentions: Draymond Green, Al Horford, Kristaps Porzingis, Gary Payton II, De'Anthony Melton The Warriors opted for flexibility and stability over a larger shake-up around Curry. Their much-publicized recruitment of James never gained much traction. They brought back their veteran frontcourt trio (Green, Horford, Porzingis), but kept them all on short-term maneuverable contracts. They opted for the fit of Melton over a pursuit of scoring guard Anfernee Simons. Their big addition is Lendeborg, the 23-year-old rookie wing who they will rely upon to be a high-minute, high-impact rotation player immediately. In the bigger picture, they protected their draft pick cupboard and lined up their books to have an ocean of cap space as they peer a bit deeper into the future while their core ages. -- Anthony Slater Zach Kram's offseason grade: C+ The new deals for Horford, Melton and Porzingis are all fine on their own, but they don't move the needle for a team stuck in the middle with no clear avenue toward true contention despite Curry still producing at an All-NBA level. The admittedly injury-ravaged Warriors went 37-45 last season, and they didn't add any non-rookies this summer until the signing of Williams this week. -- Kram What we learned over the past few months From Ben Golliver's offseason lessons piece: The Warriors waited to find out if they will boom or bust. The Warriors are stuck running back more or less the same team that stumbled to 37 wins last season, plus lottery pick Lendeborg. It's still unclear when Butler will return from the season-ending knee injury he suffered in February, so Curry, 38, will likely be forced to start next season with one hand tied behind his back. The good news is that Steve Kerr signed a new contract to return as coach, but the organization's long-standing goal of playing "meaningful basketball" rested almost entirely on James' decision, and it didn't seem to have a backup plan after striking out. -- Golliver The big question: Does the flexibility lead to a trade deadline strike? Butler will be a year removed from his ACL tear around the February trade deadline. If he can work his way back onto the court in the weeks prior, the Warriors will have a better idea of how realistic it is to believe Butler can get back to somewhere near his pre-injury form and provide them the star-level boost Curry needs. If he can't -- or if the Warriors' front office is further motivated to cash in some of its chips -- Golden State has future cap flexibility. It's similar to what the Washington Wizards and Utah Jazz had at the last deadline, landing deals for Trae Young, Anthony Davis and Jaren Jackson Jr. As it currently stands, either a loud Butler return or a significant trade appear to be the only two developments able to get the Warriors back into a more legitimate part of the conversation. -- Slater Basketball Power Index rank: No. 18 Here are the predicted Net Points per 100 possessions for the Warriors' top seven players for the 2026-27 season: Whether it's the podcast or just getting old, but Green's defense has dropped off. Last year, the Warriors' defense was actually better with him off the court, which happened just one other time in his career. Green was always a great talker on defense, so maybe his talking off-court got him fatigued. But he also allowed the highest shot quality as closest defender (GeniusIQ) in his career. -- Dean Oliver Read about how Net Points works here. Biggest X factor Podziemski is the Warriors' X factor not only because his balanced contributions will be vital this season to a team that needs all talent it can find around Curry, but because he's due to reach restricted free agency next summer if Golden State doesn't extend him before then. Other than 2026 second-round pick Lajae Jones, Podziemski is still the Warriors' youngest player -- he's even younger than first-rounder Yaxel Lendeborg -- and he has been an average NBA player for three seasons now. That's not the kind of player a team in Golden State's situation can realistically afford to lose, but Podziemski could attract several suitors depending on his play this season. -- Kram Betting insight from our expert Bet to make ahead of the season: To win 45-plus regular-season games (+190) The Warriors need a modest jump from last season to reach 45 wins. Curry is still the offensive engine, while Porziņģis provides scoring and size and the veteran core remains intact. If Butler returns in time to help during the second half, the Warriors should have enough to stay afloat and get over the number. -- Eric Moody Odds by DraftKings Sportsbook at time of publication.