Golden State Warriors Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pacific Notes: LeBron, Warriors, Marciulionis, Booker, Dwyer

August 23rd, 2025 at 11:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Warriors haven’t given up hope of trading for LeBron James and teaming him with Stephen Curry, according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (subscription required). Sources tell Fischer that Golden State has reached out to the Lakers on multiple occasions over the past 18 months to work out a deal, but has come up empty.

James and Curry played together at the Paris Olympics last August, combining their talents to capture a gold medal for Team USA. Coach Steve Kerr was in charge of that team, and the Warriors would like to create that same dynamic in the NBA.

Even though there are persistent rumors that James might be headed elsewhere after picking up his $52.6MM player option in June, Fischer points out that it would be tough for Golden State to put together a trade proposal that matches salaries without tearing apart the core of the roster. He adds that also holds true if Giannis Antetokounmpo were to ask out of Milwaukee.

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

Augustas Marciulionis chose the Lakers over the Bucks for his first NBA opportunity, according to BasketNews. The son of former NBA player Sarunas Marciulionis signed an Exhibit 10 contract in July and will be in L.A.’s training camp next month. “The attention was similar from both teams,” he said. “But in Los Angeles, there were more people my agent and I knew and trusted. We understood the situation better there. For some reason, L.A. just felt like the right choice. Still, it wasn’t easy because I don’t know that much about the NBA environment yet. But we thought this was the best place for me.” The 23-year-old point guard, who played at St. Mary’s, was dealing with a broken foot during the pre-draft process.
Devin Booker is expected to carry more of the Suns‘ offensive load with Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal gone, so Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic examines whether he can average 30 points per game. Booker scored 25.6 PPG last season with uncharacteristically low shooting numbers, so Rankin believes 30 PPG is well within reach if he takes at least 20 shots per night, goes to the free throw line more often, improves his three-point efficiency and gets more easy baskets in new head coach Jordan Ott‘s offense.
In a separate story, Rankin states that trust was behind Ott’s decision to hire Sean Dwyer as an assistant coach after they worked together at Michigan State.

Fischer’s Latest: Beasley, Martin, Hyland, Cavaliers

August 22nd, 2025 at 6:01pm CST by Eli Cohen

Following the recent report that Malik Beasley is no longer the target of a federal gambling investigation, it is expected that the sharp-shooting free agent will rejoin the market as one of the more valuable players still available. One of the teams that has shown interest in his services is the Knicks, writes Jake Fischer for The Stein Line, confirming a report from Ian Begley of SNY.tv.

The Knicks currently have an open roster spot, and have been rumored to be considering Landry Shamet or Ben Simmons for the role, though there’s debate as to how real the Simmons interest is. Fischer notes that the Knicks’ interest in Beasley dates back to their first-round playoff series against the Pistons, who still hold his Non-Bird rights.

Begley, in a tweet, adds that it wouldn’t be surprising if Beasley’s market was more than the veteran minimum contract the Knicks would be able to offer. Beasley reportedly had a three-year, $42MM deal on the table from the Pistons before news of the gambling investigation broke and Detroit moved on to signing Duncan Robinson.

Beasley averaged 16.3 points per game last season while shooting 41.6% from three on 9.3 attempts and earning the runner-up status for Sixth Man of the Year. Despite coming off the bench for all but 18 games, Beasley ranked second in the league in total made three-pointers.

We have more news from Jake Fischer’s latest article:

While rival teams expect the Warriors to sign Al Horford, Gary Payton II, and De’Anthony Melton once their stalemate with Jonathan Kuminga is resolved, they will still have more moves to make. One name that they’re considering, according to Fischer, is Cody Martin. Fischer notes that Martin has interest from multiple playoff teams, and is waiting to determine if Golden State would offer the best situation or if it would be better to make his choice once training camps have started. The 6’5″ wing has struggled with his shot in recent years but is a strong athlete and capable defender.
The Timberwolves are hoping to bring Bones Hyland back with one of their two remaining roster spots, Fischer writes, confirming prior reporting from The Athletic. Hyland, a 24-year-old scoring guard, played just four games with the Wolves last year after starting the season with the Clippers, with whom he averaged 7.2 points and shot 38.8% on three-point attempts in 11.1 minutes per night. Hyland would provide depth for the Wolves’ point guard rotation, which currently features 38-year-old Mike Conley and 21-year-old Rob Dillingham,
The Cavaliers also have two open roster spots, but Fischer writes that they’re not expected to fill the 15th spot heading into the season. With a massive payroll and a punitive luxury tax bill, Fischer instead expects them to sign a a 14th man to a non-guaranteed contract and leave the 15th spot open.

Warriors, Spurs Interested in Trey Murphy III

August 22nd, 2025 at 5:02pm CST by Eli Cohen

The Warriors remain locked in a contract standoff with restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga, but that hasn’t kept them from poking around the league for upgrades on the trade market. One name that has come up in their search, writes Jake Fischer for The Stein Line, is Pelicans wing Trey Murphy III.

Fischer says the Warriors approached the Pelicans about Murphy this summer. However, he notes that New Orleans has turned away offers for the recently-turned 25-year-old, who is coming off a breakout year that saw him score 21.2 points per game after averaging 14.6 PPG over the previous two years.

Murphy, who is on a favorable contract (four years, $112MM), is a 6’8″ wing who can shoot (career 38.3% from three), defend at a solid level, and has shown flashes of self-creation. The Warriors have placed a premium on shooting, as illustrated by Fischer’s report that they have refused to consider sign-and-trade offers that would force them to part with either Moses Moody or Buddy Hield, two of the team’s top marksmen outside of Stephen Curry.

Fischer adds another name to the list of potential suitors for Murphy: the Spurs. According to Fischer, San Antonio has also registered trade interest in the athletic wing.

Murphy would be a clean fit with the Spurs, who could use a big wing shooter to complement guards De’Aaron Fox, Dylan Harper, and Stephon Castle – an extremely talented trio that doesn’t feature a reliable outside shooter – as well as versatile forward Jeremy Sochan.

However, all the reasons teams such as the Spurs and Warriors are interested in Murphy’s services are also reasons the Pelicans would be reluctant to part with him. That’s especially true given the uncertainty surrounding Zion Williamson, both in terms of his long-term health and off-court allegations. Murphy, the recently extended Herb Jones, and Jose Alvarado have been on the team longer than anyone outside of Williamson, and Murphy’s game has grown tremendously in that time.

Warriors, Jonathan Kuminga Still Locked In Contract Standoff

August 22nd, 2025 at 3:42pm CST by Rory Maher

Restricted free agent forward Jonathan Kuminga remains locked in a contract standoff with the Warriors nearly two months after free agency opened, reports Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).

The Warriors been unwilling to offer Kuminga more than $45MM over two years, according to Fischer, who says Golden State has also been “unwavering” in its stance that the contract would feature a second-year team option and would require Kuminga to waive his right to veto trades.

Echoing previous reporting by Anthony Slater of ESPN, sources tell Fischer that Kuminga and agent Aaron Turner are looking for more long-term security and haven’t shown any interest to this point in the Warriors’ proposal, viewing it as an easy way for the team to trade him during the season.

To drive home that point, Fischer states that Golden State discussed sending Kuminga to Phoenix ahead of the February trade deadline when the Warriors were pursuing Kevin Durant, who essentially nixed the deal. Durant was later traded from the Suns to the Rockets.

According to Fischer, the Warriors have been “discouraging” sign-and-trade scenarios for Kuminga after previous proposals from the Kings and Suns failed to meet the team’s asking price.

While accepting his $7.98MM qualifying offer would cost Kuminga a substantial amount of short-term money, it would also put him in a better position to dictate his future, since it comes with a no-trade clause for 2025/26 and the ability to reach unrestricted free agency next summer. As Fischer writes, Kuminga could reasonably view offseason interest from Sacramento, Phoenix and Chicago as an encouraging sign for his potential market in 2026.

Signing the QO, which has a deadline of Oct. 1, would undoubtedly be risky for Kuminga, but it might be even riskier for the Warriors, Fischer notes, since they don’t want to lose the former No. 7 overall pick for nothing.

Free Agent Rumors: Thomas, Westbrook, Simmons, Shamet, Knicks

August 21st, 2025 at 4:00pm CST by Rory Maher

NBA insider Jake Fischer reported Wednesday during a Bleacher Report live stream (YouTube link) that he continues to hear restricted free agent guard Cam Thomas is weighing whether to sign his $6MM qualifying offer or accept a two-year deal with the Nets worth around $14MM annually. The catch is the second year is a team option, meaning only the first season is guaranteed.

“Cam Thomas’s situation seems to be a decision between taking his qualifying offer or a two-year deal with a team option that is north of the qualifying offer from Brooklyn, somewhere around $14 million in average annual value,” Fischer said.

For what it’s worth, league sources not connected to the situation speculated to Kurt Helin of NBC Sports that Thomas might accept a two-year deal with a team option if he received closer to what Golden State reportedly offered Jonathan Kuminga ($45MM). While Helin acknowledges that the Nets have the edge in negotiating leverage, he wonders if the two sides will eventually reach some sort of compromise — perhaps a second-year player option or a partial guarantee in year two — to hash out a new deal.

Here are a few more rumors and notes on NBA veterans who remain unsigned:

There’s still no indication that any NBA team besides Sacramento is seriously considering signing Russell Westbrook, Fischer said yesterday in the same Bleacher Report live stream (hat tip to Dallas Hoops Journal). “We are still waiting to see what other moves could come in Sacramento before the Kings try to bring Russell Westbrook in,” Fischer said. “And that’s been the one home all along that we really have looked at for Russell Westbrook and that’s still the home that I have heard earlier this week is the most likely outcome for Russell Westbrook if he’s gonna be in the NBA at all. Honestly, that’s really the only home we’ve heard for him.”
Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report takes a look at four potential landing spots for Ben Simmons, including the Kings, Knicks and Warriors.
While the Knicks and Simmons have mutual interest and the 29-year-old could end up in New York, Ian Begley of SNY.tv thinks the former No. 1 overall pick is “probably” more likely to land with another team, he said Tuesday on The Putback (YouTube link). New York only has enough room below its second-apron hard cap to sign one veteran to a minimum-salary deal, and Begley is “kind of assuming” that contract will eventually go to Landry Shamet. The Knicks have also kicked the tires on Malcolm Brogdon, though Begley noted they would likely have to make a trade to sign more than one of those three players.

Latest On Al Horford, Other Warriors FA Targets

August 21st, 2025 at 7:44am CST by Luke Adams

As the Warriors‘ standoff with restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga extends into late August, the team remains “very confident” about its ability to eventually sign free agent center Al Horford, Jake Fischer said in his latest Bleacher Report live stream on Wednesday (YouTube link; hat tip to Dallas Hoops Journal).

As Fischer outlines, Horford is among several veteran free agents who have expressed a willingness to be patient in waiting for resolution on Kuminga and have been “in full communication” with the Warriors’ front office.

Pointing to veterans like De’Anthony Melton, Gary Payton II, Seth Curry, and perhaps even Malcolm Brogdon as candidates to end up in Golden State, Fischer suggests that those players would likely receive minimum-salary contracts if they sign with the Warriors, whereas Horford would probably be in line for a more lucrative deal.

“Al Horford’s situation is a bit different,” Fischer said. “Because, depending on where the Warriors land in a cap/tax situation, I believe he is slated to make upwards of the full taxpayer mid-level exception. There has also been some discussion about whether or not he could potentially be receiving a two-year deal with a player option as well.”

Fischer adds that the Warriors envision Horford having a “pretty major role” in their rotation. That lines up with previous reporting from ESPN’s Anthony Slater, who has indicated that the 40-year-old would likely slot in as the team’s starting center.

Using any portion of the mid-level exception would hard-cap the Warriors at the second tax apron — that could put them at risk of losing Kuminga, since a rival suitor could look to open up cap room to sign the RFA forward to an offer sheet Golden State wouldn’t be able to match. As a result, the Warriors are putting off the rest of their offseason business until they either re-sign or sign-and-trade Kuminga and have a clearer picture of their cap situation.

Depending on what happens with Kuminga, the Warriors should have either the taxpayer or even a portion of the non-taxpayer mid-level exception available to them.

For instance, if Kuminga accepts the rumored two-year, $45MM offer Golden State has put on the table, the club would be roughly $14.9MM below the second apron with 10 players under contract and would have the ability to offer Horford the full $5.7MM taxpayer mid-level exception while still filling out the rest of its roster with minimum-salary players.

If Kuminga were to sign his $7.98MM qualifying offer, Golden State would have about $17MM in breathing room below the first apron and could theoretically go a little above the taxpayer portion of the MLE to sign Horford. But that would result in a first-apron hard cap, which the front office may look to avoid.

Fischer warns that Kuminga’s free agency may remain unresolved well into September, since the deadline to accept his qualifying offer won’t arrive until October 1.

Warriors Notes: Curry, Kuminga, Kerr, Lacob

August 16th, 2025 at 11:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Warriors star Stephen Curry isn’t panicking as the offseason drags along without his team making a roster addition, writes Sam Gordon of The San Francisco Chronicle. Personnel moves have been on hold as Golden State’s front office tries to resolve a stalemate with restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga. Al Horford, De’Anthony Melton, Gary Payton II, and Seth Curry are among the candidates to sign with Golden State once Kuminga’s situation is settled, and Stephen Curry doesn’t have any anxiety about the situation with training camp still roughly six weeks away.

“It’s different, for sure,” the two-time MVP told reporters on Thursday at his youth basketball camp. “But my confidence is built on the identity we were able to create over the last third of the regular season last year and the playoff journey.”

Curry added, “We have a really good team,” but acknowledged there’s a “need for some pieces to help get us to the next level.”

As he prepares for his 17th NBA season, Curry explained that his offseason routine has “evolved drastically” and his workouts now emphasize “checking off all the boxes of movement and skill set that’s relevant to my game.” He doesn’t seem to have any lingering effects from the strained left hamstring that forced him to miss nearly all of the second-round playoff loss to Minnesota.

“Pacing myself nice,” he said. “Ready to finish the summer strong. … When you see me whenever Media Day is, should be primed and ready to go.”

There’s more on the Warriors:

Six of the top eight players selected in the 2021 draft already have lucrative extensions in hand, but Kuminga hasn’t been able to reach an agreement on a modest salary with Golden State, notes Ron Kroichick of The San Francisco Chronicle. Landing with an established team, Kuminga didn’t receive the regular rotation role and consistent minutes that top-seven picks usually get. Add that to a depressed market where none of the top restricted free agents have landed an offer sheet, and it’s easy to understand Kuminga’s frustration. “He apparently thinks he’s at the Cade Cunningham–Scottie Barnes level, where he should get that type of contract,” a league source told Kroichick. “… It’s really a quandary. I think it’s bad for the Warriors and bad for him.”
Appearing on the Glue Guys Podcast (YouTube link) Steve Kerr talked about the frustrations of trying to work with young players in the midst of a hectic NBA schedule. “We don’t practice anymore,” Kerr said. “So we have to develop these 19-year-old kids who are coming into the league without much practice time. … Frankly, I’m not great — I’m an older coach. … So I lean on the young (coaches).”
As vice president of basketball development Kent Lacob leaves the organization, Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic explores the reasons behind his decision and the stressful journey to break the news to his father, Warriors owner Joe Lacob.

Latest On Jonathan Kuminga

August 15th, 2025 at 4:06pm CST by Luke Adams

There has been “renewed” dialogue between the Warriors and Jonathan Kuminga‘s camp during the last week as the two sides continue to propose contract concepts, ESPN’s Anthony Slater said during a Friday appearance on NBA Today (YouTube link).

As he has reported previously, Slater says that Kuminga and his representatives are seeking a contract that positions him to be more of a building block than simply a trade chip.

“The word I’ve heard used from the Kuminga side is ‘pawn,'” Slater said. “He doesn’t want to sign this two-year, $45MM deal with a team option where he is clearly just being used to be traded mid-season. That’s not something he wants to sign up for.

“Now if you’re talking about a three-year deal, if you’re talking about something with a player option that shows him a little bit more commitment, that’s something he’d be interested in. But as of now, the Warriors have been hesitant to do that, and because of that, Kuminga is signaling to those around him that he’s very willing – and prefers – (to sign) the qualifying offer over the two-year, $45MM deal. That’s dangerous for the Warriors. They can try to call his bluff, but right now, it seems to be trending toward the qualifying offer.”

A handful of Warriors free agent targets – including big man Al Horford – are awaiting resolution on the Kuminga situation before they can potentially finalize deals with Golden State. However, with training camps not scheduled to start until the end of September and no crucial dates coming up for restricted free agents until the October 1 deadline to accept a qualifying offer, Slater wouldn’t be surprised if the standoff extends into September.

“August is a lot easier for people to just be like, ‘OK, we’ll get to you when we get to you,'” Slater said. “September’s where it starts to get a little bit more uncomfortable. I don’t know if there will be movement or a little bit more angst on the Warriors’ or Kuminga’s side, but September is where this could get a little bit dicier.”

As Slater acknowledges, it would be somewhat surprising if Kuminga gives up $14MM in 2025/26 salary and signs his $8MM qualifying offer instead of taking a two-year, $45MM offer from Golden State. But accepting the QO would put him in a better position to dictate his future, since it comes with a no-trade clause for ’25/26 and the ability to reach unrestricted free agency next summer.

“You talk to people around him and he’s pretty dug in,” Slater said. “If two for $45MM with the team option is going to be the best offer, he will see them in training camp on an ($8MM) expiring qualifying offer which includes a no-trade clause. Because he wants either to be viewed as more of a building block or he wants his freedom, his control of his future. And the qualifying offer, while less money, gives him control of his future.”

NBA Teams Average 14.4 Back-To-Backs In 2025/26

August 15th, 2025 at 9:32am CST by Luke Adams

Five NBA teams will play a league-high 16 back-to-back sets during the 2025/26 regular season, while six clubs will have just 13 instances of back-to-back games on their schedules. The remaining 19 teams will play either 14 or 15 back-to-backs.

[RELATED: 2025/26 NBA Schedules By Team]

Those totals – along with an overall average of 14.4 back-to-backs per team – are about what we’ve come to expect in recent years.

Prior to the COVID-shortened seasons of 2019/20 and ’20/21, the NBA’s regular season consisted of 177 days, and the league had made a concerted effort to reduce instances of back-to-backs. When the league announced its initial schedule in ’19/20, its press release boasted that teams were averaging a record-low 12.4 back-to-backs that season, marking the fifth straight year in which that number had reached an all-time low.

However, since 2021/22, NBA regular seasons have spanned just 174 days, making it a little more difficult for schedule-makers to avoid back-to-back sets. The average number of back-to-backs per team is still well below where it once was (teams averaged 19.3 in 2024/25), but it’s no longer at a record low.

Here are the back-to-backs by team in 2025/26:

Charlotte Hornets: 16
Denver Nuggets: 16
Philadelphia 76ers: 16
Phoenix Suns: 16
Washington Wizards: 16
Golden State Warriors: 15
Los Angeles Clippers: 15
Miami Heat: 15
New Orleans Pelicans: 15
Portland Trail Blazers: 15
Toronto Raptors: 15
Utah Jazz: 15
Brooklyn Nets: 14
Cleveland Cavaliers: 14
Dallas Mavericks: 14
Detroit Pistons: 14
Houston Rockets: 14
Los Angeles Lakers: 14
Memphis Grizzlies: 14
Milwaukee Bucks: 14
New York Knicks: 14
Orlando Magic: 14
Sacramento Kings: 14
San Antonio Spurs: 14
Atlanta Hawks: 13
Boston Celtics: 13
Chicago Bulls: 13
Indiana Pacers: 13
Minnesota Timberwolves: 13
Oklahoma City Thunder: 13

Warriors, Lakers, Knicks, Thunder Get Most Nationally Televised Games For 2025/26

August 15th, 2025 at 7:51am CST by Luke Adams

Having gone from two national broadcasting partners (ABC/ESPN and TNT) to three (ABC/ESPN, NBC, and Amazon Prime) ahead of the 2025/26 season, the NBA’s schedule will feature a significant increase in nationally televised games.

When the league unveiled its full regular season schedule on Thursday, it announced 237 nationally televised regular season matchups, along with the seven knockout round NBA Cup games whose participants aren’t yet known, for a total of 244 contests.

As Colin Salao of Front Office Sports writes in a subscriber story, the total number of nationally televised games is up by more than 40% from last season, when the league’s partners nationally broadcasted a total of 172 games.

Salao also points out that beginning in the middle of the season, when the NFL schedule starts winding down, the NBA will have national games every day of the week: Peacock on Monday; NBC/Peacock on Tuesday; ESPN on Wednesday; Amazon on Thursday; Amazon and ESPN on Friday; Amazon and ABC on Saturday; and ABC, NBC, and Peacock on Sunday.

Every team will be featured at least twice on the national TV broadcast schedule, with the Warriors, Lakers, Knicks, and defending champion Thunder leading the way with 34 appearances apiece.

Here’s the full breakdown of nationally televised games by team:

Golden State Warriors: 34
Los Angeles Lakers: 34
New York Knicks: 34
Oklahoma City Thunder: 34
Houston Rockets: 28
Minnesota Timberwolves: 28
Denver Nuggets: 26
Boston Celtics: 25
Cleveland Cavaliers: 24
Dallas Mavericks: 23
San Antonio Spurs: 22
Los Angeles Clippers: 21
Milwaukee Bucks: 18
Detroit Pistons: 16
Orlando Magic: 14
Philadelphia 76ers: 14
Atlanta Hawks: 13
Memphis Grizzlies: 10
Indiana Pacers: 9
Phoenix Suns: 9
Sacramento Kings: 9
Portland Trail Blazers: 8
Miami Heat: 5
Charlotte Hornets: 3
Chicago Bulls: 3
Brooklyn Nets: 2
New Orleans Pelicans: 2
Toronto Raptors: 2
Utah Jazz: 2
Washington Wizards: 2

Since nationally televised matchups are subject to change, there’s no guarantee that every team will ultimately end up being featured multiple times on the national stage.

As Salao points out, all 30 clubs showed up at least once on the national broadcast schedule initially announced for 2024/25, but the Wizards didn’t get any nationally televised games after having their lone contest replaced by a showdown between Cleveland and Oklahoma City.

Additionally, not every team this season will have a game aired on a traditional, non-streaming network — the only games featuring the Raptors or Wizards will air on either Peacock or Amazon Prime.