Warriors rumors: 4 realistic free agent targets after missing on LeBron James

The Golden State Warriors have roster spots to fill following LeBron James’ recent decision in free agency this summer.

James announced his choice to join the 76ers on Friday, signing a two-year deal that includes a player option in the second year. This marks his 24th and possibly 25th seasons in the NBA, a historic record that will be difficult for future players to achieve.

The Warriors were one of the teams James was considering before ultimately signing with the 76ers. This indicates another pursuit that Golden State has been unsuccessful, prompting questions about how the team will adjust with finalizing its roster for next season.

NBA insider Brett Siegel made an appearance on the Clutch Scoops podcast with Tomer Azarly on Thursday. They discussed the Warriors’ roster situation, which Siegel named a few players that Golden State can now pursue after James’ decision.

“I don’t see any trades in their immediate future, but they do have some salary spots to fill. I believe they have three open cap spots right now, and they have about $8 million to work with before their hard cap at the apron, and so some names on minimum contracts. There’s four of them right now that we’re paying attention to,” Siegel said at the 55-minute mark.

“It’s Kelly Olynyk, a guy that has been linked to the Warriors before. He’s been a target of them for the last two to three years. He’s going to be an option on a minimum deal. Brandon Williams is another player that we know they have interest in. He’s a free agent, played well for the Dallas Mavericks last year at the guard position. Gabe Vincent is another guard that we’ve reported on, and then Gary Payton II. There’s still mutual interest between them to possibly bring him back in a reserve off the bench type role.”

What lies ahead for Warriors

The Warriors are in a tricky situation following the unsuccessful attempt at landing LeBron James. They now have to retool around Stephen Curry and Draymond Green by finishing the squad.

The Warriors ended the 2025-26 campaign with a 37-45 record, sitting at 10th place in the Western Conference standings. Their season ended in the play-in tournament, beating the Los Angeles Clippers before losing to the Phoenix Suns.

Golden State will need all the help it can get ahead of next season. If they want to make a deep playoff run, they will need young players to step up in the rotation throughout the ups and downs of the campaign.

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