Thunder-Spurs Matchup Makes Warriors' Biggest Draft/Free-Agency Need Obvious

Warriors should look at Thunder and Spurs rosters to guide their offseason decisions

Devin Vassell and Jalen Williams | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

The Golden State Warriors should take notes from the Thunder and Spurs as they battle it out in the Western Conference Finals.

Both teams have star 7-foot-plus centers in Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren. Fortunately the Warriors can re-sign Kristaps Porzingis to give them their own talented big, even if he's not on the level of the other two.

Both teams have a star guard with a career scoring average of more than 21 points per game in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and De'Aaron Fox. Of course the Warriors have that as well with Stephen Curry.

For the most part, that's where the similarities end between the Warriors and the two best teams in the NBA.

The main thing they have that Golden State doesn't is a cadre of on-ball defensive dynamos.

Interestingly, neither team relies on great positional size at the 3 and 4.

But their guards and wings can all defend, and offensively each is either a great slasher or at least a passable three-point shooter.

Though most of them are 6'6" and under, they are all at least 6'3", which is key because it's easier to pick on players 6'2" and under.

Player	Height	DEPM	Shooter or Slasher?
Dylan Harper	6'5"	+0.7	Slasher
Stephon Castle	6'6"	+1.6	Slasher
Devin Vassell	6'5"	+0.3	Shooter
J. Champagnie	6'7"	+0.3	Shooter
Alex Caruso	6'5"	+3.1	Average shooter
Cason Wallace	6'3"	+3.1	Average shooter
Lu Dort	6'4"	+0.7	Average shooter
Ajay Mitchell	6'4"	+2.3	Slasher
Jalen Williams	6'5"	+1.3	Slasher

These rosters should inform the Warriors on what to do in the draft and free agency so that Stephen Curry is close to as well supported as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Warriors' Need More Two-Way Guards/Wings

I have written about how the Warriors need positional size, and of course it would be great if they could find a 6'7"-6'9" wing who can defend dynamic guards and wings and score efficiently.

But the Thunder-Spurs series is telling us it's more important to target two-way ability from a 6'3"-6'5" player than it is to get a 6'7"-plus player who hasn't proved they can play great on-ball defense.

To put this into 2026 NBA draft terms, Brayden Burries is probably a better bet than Yaxel Lendeborg.

Burries measured 6'3.75" at the combine, while Lendeborg measured 6'8.25". Lendeborg's size has many Warriors fans hoping Mike Dunleavy Jr. selects the 23-year-old Michigan star.

Lendeborg would not be a bad pick, but the 20-year-old Arizona star is a better shooter and secondary ball-handler, and he has more lateral quickness to play on-ball defense.

Lendeborg's size will allow him to guard 4s and 5s in a way that Burries won't. But as you're seeing in the Western Conference Finals, the size of the 6'3"-6'5" defenders, especially those built like Burries (215 lbs), is not getting exposed very often.

That's because most teams are not posting up their big wings/true power forwards like they did in previous eras of the NBA. It's more important to be able guard one-on-one, navigate on-ball screens and rotate quickly.

Warriors' Draft and Free-Agent Targets

Aside from Burries, another Golden State draft target is Cameron Carr. The 21-year-old Baylor star measured 6'4.5", which in previous eras would be too short to guard some 3s and most 4s. But in today's era, Carr can guard almost all 3s and most 4s, especially considering he has a 7'.075" wingspan and 42.5-inch vertical jump.

As for free agency, the Suns' Jordan Goodwin looks like exactly the type of player the Thunder and Spurs would target.

The 27-year-old is an on-ball pest, and he plays bigger than 6'3", as his excellent rebounding rate suggests.

Whether it's through the draft, free agency or trades, the Warriors can't have so many players who are liabilities on one side of the court.

Gary Payton II (UFA) is still a valuable on-ball defender, but his inability to shoot or handle the ball makes him replaceable.

De'Anthony Melton (player option) is a solid defender, but his three-point shot fell off a cliff this past season, and he looked overexposed trying to score in one-on-one situations.

The only two-way players on the team in 2025-26 were Moses Moody and Jimmy Butler, and both are out for at least half of next season with knee injuries.

The Warriors' goal should be to get two more two-way players this offseason. If Moody and Butler can come back in 2026-27 at close to their previous level and the new two-way guys are thriving, the Warriors might have something cooking for next season's playoffs.