The Chase Center has a weird energy lately. Honestly, if you walked into the arena right now, you’d see a team caught between two worlds. One world belongs to the greatest shooter to ever live, still putting up 28.1 points per game at 37 years old. The other belongs to a group of young guys who, quite frankly, don't seem to know if they're coming or going.
The current Golden State Warriors roster is no longer the dynasty we grew up with. It's something much more volatile and, if we're being real, a bit messy.
The Big Trade That Changed Everything
You can't talk about this roster without talking about the Jimmy Butler trade from February 2025. Mike Dunleavy Jr. pushed all his chips in. He traded away the 2025 first-round pick (which became Kasparas Jakučionis) to get Butler from Miami. It was a "win-now" move that felt desperate at the time and feels even heavier now.
Jimmy is 36. He's still a dog, leading the team in steals and shooting nearly 52% from the floor, but he isn't the fountain of youth. Putting him next to Draymond Green and Steph Curry created the oldest "Big Three" in the league. It's a lot of basketball IQ and not a lot of fast-break speed.
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Current Golden State Warriors Roster: The Depth Chart
The rotation is a rotating door. Steve Kerr has used 16 different starting lineups this season. Think about that. We are in mid-January 2026, and the coach still doesn't know who his best five are.
Here is how the rotation basically looks right now:
- Point Guard: Stephen Curry is the sun. Everything revolves around him. Behind him, Brandin Podziemski is the "glue guy" who does a bit of everything—averaging 12 points and nearly 5 boards—but he’s struggled to find his shot lately (36.4% from three).
- Shooting Guard: Moses Moody has finally broken into the starting lineup. He’s averaging 10.8 points and playing the best defense of his life. Then you have Buddy Hield coming off the bench as a flamethrower.
- Small Forward: Jimmy Butler handles the heavy lifting here. De'Anthony Melton and the rookie Will Richard provide some much-needed perimeter defense when Jimmy needs a breather.
- Power Forward: Draymond Green is still the defensive heartbeat, but he’s showing age. He’s averaging 8.5 points and about 5 assists, but the technical fouls are still a problem—he actually got tossed from a game against Utah just a few weeks ago.
- Center: This is the weirdest part of the roster. Quinten Post, the 7-footer, has been starting, but his minutes are getting cut. Trayce Jackson-Davis is the high-energy lob threat, and they even brought in veteran Al Horford, who is 39 years old, to provide some "adult in the room" vibes.
The Jonathan Kuminga Situation
We have to address the elephant in the room. Jonathan Kuminga requested a trade this week. It’s out in the open.
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Kuminga is 23. He’s averaging 14.9 points and a career-high 6.8 rebounds. On paper, he’s exactly what they need: youth, size, and athleticism. But the fit isn't there. He wants the ball. Kerr wants him to set screens and cut. Reports from The Athletic suggest the front office has basically "given up" on the Kuminga-Moody-Podziemski trio as a future core and is looking to swap them for more veteran help before the February 5 deadline.
Why the Offense Stagnates
The Warriors are 19th in scoring. That sounds impossible with Steph on the court, right? But when Curry sits, the offense falls off a cliff.
The team is a bottom-seven shooting unit overall. They’ve become predictable. If you trap Steph, you're daring Draymond or a 36-year-old Jimmy Butler to beat you from the perimeter. Sometimes it works. Most of the time, it leads to a lot of contested mid-range jumpers and frustrated looks toward the bench.
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The Zion Rumors and the Road Ahead
The rumor mill is spinning fast. There is a massive proposal floating around involving Zion Williamson. The idea is that New Orleans gets Kuminga, Moody, Horford, and a 2027 pick, while the Warriors get Zion.
Is it risky? Absolutely. Zion’s contract is a maze of weight clauses and game-played benchmarks. But it shows the direction of this current Golden State Warriors roster: they are terrified of wasting Steph’s final years. They would rather gamble on a superstar’s health than wait for a 23-year-old to figure out the "Warriors Way."
Actionable Insights for Fans and Analysts
If you're following this team, keep your eye on three specific things over the next three weeks:
- The Kuminga Trade Package: He likely won't be on the roster by mid-February. The return needs to be a switchable wing who can shoot.
- Steph's Quad: Curry has been dealing with a nagging quad issue. If he misses even a week, this 23-19 record could easily slide under .500.
- The Center Rotation: Watch if Trayce Jackson-Davis starts stealing Quinten Post’s minutes permanently. The Warriors need the vertical spacing TJD provides more than the theoretical floor spacing of Post.
The Warriors are currently 8th in the West. They aren't a juggernaut anymore. They are a grit-and-grind veteran team trying to squeeze one last drop of magic out of a legendary core. It’s not always pretty, but with #30 on the floor, you can never quite count them out.
Keep an eye on the injury reports for Seth Curry and Gui Santos, both of whom are expected back by late January to help bolster a bench that has looked thin during this recent stretch of road games.