The Golden State Warriors will not open the 2024-25 NBA season as contenders. That much should be abundantly clear after they limped their way into the 10th seed in the Western Conference, were obliterated and embarrassed by the Sacramento Kings in their lone postseason game, and then started the offseason by losing their second-best scorer and their sixth man.
They recouped some of those losses with a series of laudable moves, but in the absence of landing a big fish — try as they might have for Lauri Markkanen and Paul George — the Warriors didn’t do enough to regain contender status.