The Warriors have been holding their ground, already preparing for the 2027-28 season.

Similarly, the Warriors can be seen as the first squad to prepare for the 2027-28 campaign. During this summer, the other 29 teams have added a total of 80 players (including draft picks acquired via trades), whereas the Warriors have added none.

Don't use LeBron James as a shield. After James confirmed his signing with the 76ers, the Warriors still haven't made any moves. The team currently has three roster spots open, and they are less than ten million dollars away from the second apron. It's highly likely they will fill those spots with minimum contracts.

The Warriors' biggest move this offseason was indeed pursuing LeBron James. According to follow-up reports, the Warriors did make it to the final round, but they were also the first to be eliminated. James certainly wanted to play with Curry, but he didn't want to play with Curry on the Warriors—these are two completely different concepts.

Even with James added, the current Warriors roster doesn't show any hope of breaking out of the Western Conference. They would likely still be hovering around the playoff fringe. This situation is naturally unacceptable for James, so it's not surprising that the Warriors were the first to be eliminated.

So far, the Warriors' offseason moves have all been re-signing their own players. Melton re-signed for 2 years/$11 million with a player option in the second year; Horford re-signed for 2 years/$14 million; Porzingis re-signed for 2 years/$40 million with only $3 million guaranteed in the second year; minimum contracts for Payton and Charles Bassey. Also, after Draymond opted out (to chase LeBron), they brought him back at the same price.

These moves actually reveal the Warriors' strategy for this offseason: remain still and quietly wait for the 2027 offseason. Porzingis' contract has only $20 million guaranteed next season, and only $3 million guaranteed in 2027-28, making it easy to release. This contract looks more like a trade chip for the Warriors mid-season.

After Draymond opted out, he returned on a one-year contract instead of signing a longer-term deal with a lower annual salary. This shows that the Warriors are determined to clear enough cap space in 2027 to attract star players.

In the summer of 2027, the contracts of Curry, Green, and Butler will all expire simultaneously, allowing the Warriors to clear about $147 million in cap space. Of course, Curry will likely sign a two-year contract worth over $130 million by the end of August. Even so, the Warriors can still offer a max contract to attract star players in the following offseason.

The Warriors' strategy this offseason was conservative. They only tentatively inquired about Brown using Butler, and the Celtics immediately hung up the phone. The Celtics' asking price was at least four first-round picks, while the Warriors believed that Brown is not the player to lead the team after Curry retires, so there's no need to pay such a high price.

Of course, the Warriors themselves didn't have much room to maneuver. Butler and Moody's injuries essentially made them lose their trade value, and there aren't many tradeable assets left on the roster. The Warriors' salary level is also among the highest in the league. With Curry and Butler's contracts totaling nearly $120 million, it's destined to be difficult for the Warriors to bring in a third star.

However, the Warriors are certainly in a better position than the Nuggets. The Nuggets have reached a point where they must dismantle the team to reduce salary, while the Warriors can still hold steady for another year. Next year, they can fully clear their books and enter the next phase. But for Curry, this also means another year of wasted time.

Next year, Curry will be 39. How much of his current form can he maintain? I've always felt that after Myers left, Lacob lost absolute confidence in Curry. Lacob no longer believes Curry can still win a championship. They have long been planning for the post-Curry era. It's just that Curry has still been highly competitive in recent years, which makes the Warriors seem stuck in the middle. Of course, trading for Butler seemed like a "risky" upgrade, but it only cost the Warriors a top-10 protected first-round pick in 2025.

The Warriors still firmly hold their future first-round picks. Including this year's draft, Dunleavy and Lacob had a heated argument before selecting Lundberg. Judging by Lacob's past "glorious" track record, he likely wanted to pick a raw prospect, while Dunleavy insisted on taking Lundberg. Who is right and who is wrong can't be concluded yet, but at least Lundberg has already become the Summer League MVP.

The Lakers are willing to empty their future assets for a 27-year-old Doncic, even building a roster completely "de-LeBron-ized" around him. But the Warriors, facing a 38-year-old Curry, are only willing to give him enough salary respect but not empty their future to help him compete for one last championship.

Lacob is conflicted. He wants Curry to stay on the team to maximize his value, but he is also early planning for the post-Curry era and unwilling to invest more in Curry. Given this, it might be better to end the Curry era early, let Curry go elsewhere to compete for a championship, and officially start rebuilding. But everyone knows that's impossible.

For a one-team career, would Curry want a Kobe-like ending or a Duncan-like one?