Three names outside Steph Curry will decide whether Golden State's season actually goes anywhere.
The Golden State Warriors spent the summer rebuilding around the same two things that have always worked, shooting and Curry, but last season still ended in a 37-45 record and a second missed playoff trip in three years.
Steve Kerr is back on a new two-year deal, Curry is still owed $62.6 million this season under the 2024 extension, and the front office finally filled out the roster in late August.
None of that guarantees anything actually changes.
Niang's Spot
Niang missed all of last season with a foot injury, and Golden State still brought him back this August on a one-year, $3.9 million deal.
That says the front office trusts what it saw from him before the injury more than it worries about the rust.
Across 79 games with Cleveland and Atlanta in 2024-25, he shot 40.6 percent from three, exactly the floor spacing this roster wants around Curry.
Golden State also brought in guard Dalen Terry on an Exhibit 10 deal this summer, a sign the staff is still hunting for cheap depth after last season's bench fell apart.
If Niang's foot holds up, he gives Kerr a shooter who does not need the ball, which is worth more than usual with other rotation pieces starting the year hurt.
Jimmy Butler's Recovery Timeline
Butler tore his right ACL in January and is expected to miss at least the start of this season while he rehabs, which puts Golden State right back where it was a year ago, leaning on everyone else while its best two-way piece sits out.
Butler's return timeline is close to the whole season, not just a small detail.
Curry factors in here too, since he is eligible for a new extension beyond the money he is already owed this year, and how the front office handles that decision shapes how patient it can be while it waits on Butler.
Butler still sounds convinced none of it changes the outlook, saying this summer, "I'm a firm believer that Steph is one of the greatest players to ever play this game. His talent is game-changing alone."
That belief gets tested once the games start counting for real.
Kristaps Porzingis Determines the Floor
Porzingis is already being treated like a long-term piece.
Golden State traded for him on February 5 by sending Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield to Atlanta, then signed him to an extension on June 30 that locks him in around $19.5 million this season and roughly $20.5 million the next.
In 15 games with Golden State last season, Porzingis shot .433 from the field and .311 from three while averaging 16.1 points, solid numbers but nowhere close to a full workload.
With Butler out to start the year, Porzingis is the closest thing this roster has to a second scoring option next to Curry, and his health is the single biggest swing factor on the team.
If he plays something closer to 60 games instead of 15, the offense looks completely different than it did last season.
If he does not, Curry is propping up a broken offense alone again, a much worse version of this team.
