The Golden State Warriors will kick off their 2026-27 campaign on Wednesday night with a matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers, and when they take the court, they will feature a roster that looks concerningly similar to the one the team featured last year. The Lakers, on the other hand, will look very different.
The biggest change for Los Angeles is that LeBron James is no longer in town, as he departed for the Philadelphia 76ers in free agency. Several teams spent their offseason making a big push for James’ signature, with the Warriors being one such team. Ultimately, they came up short, with Stephen Curry recently making his thoughts on James’ decision very clear.
Stephen Curry Dishes on LeBron James’ Free Agency
The first order of business for Golden State over the offseason involved figuring out what the future held for Curry and longtime head coach Steve Kerr. The Warriors opted to commit to both guys for the next couple of years, revealing their intention to build up their roster around Curry for one last title run.
Instead, the offseason was surprisingly quiet for Golden State, as it primarily focused on bringing back guys who were with them last year. The Warriors did their best to make big moves (with their grand plan being to bring in James and Anthony Davis to team up alongside Curry), but they were unable to make anything happen there.
Missing out on James could wind up being a consequential miss for the Dubs, as they don’t have much support for Curry on their roster until they get Jimmy Butler back from injury at some point in January or February. Everybody knows Golden State was in on James, which led to Curry making some eye-opening comments on the team’s pursuit of the future Hall of Famer in free agency.
“We took some shots at it,” Curry admitted in an interview with Andscape. “If (joining the Warriors) was high up on his list, then we would have felt that. Until you hear the final decision, you’ve gotta think you have a shot. I guess a guy like that, when you have that ability to go anywhere you want in the league, you find a place that’s right for you.”
Stephen Curry, Warriors Push Forward Without LeBron James
When looking at the current construction of the Warriors’ roster, it’s not hard to see why the team was so intent on bringing James to town. The front office has indicated a willingness to break the bank for a big-name star or two, but for the time being, Curry remains the focal point of Golden State’s roster.
Considering how he is entering his age-39 season, it’s safe to say that the Dubs are putting a lot on Curry’s plate this season. And yet, when he’s been on the court, Curry has shown no signs of slowing down yet. How far Curry can take this team on his own is unknown, but we will have a much better grasp of what this team looks like after its season opener against L.A. is in the books.
Warriors’ Stephen Curry Makes Thoughts Very Clear on LeBron James Signing With Sixers