3 Warriors playing their final postseason in Golden State

Barring an act of divine intervention, the Golden State Warriors will occupy either the No. 9 or 10 seed in the Western Conference standings when the season ends on April 14. That puts the dynasty in a precarious spot — one loss away from elimination and a summer full of existential questions.

Several prospective free agents occupy the Warriors' roster, none more prominently than Klay Thompson. While this team absolutely has the firepower to push through the Play-In Tournament and earn a first-round bid, we haven't seen the Warriors play consistent basketball in a while. And, as the offseason draws nearer, the noise grows louder.

I'm going to wager that Thompson inevitably sticks around. It's hard to imagine him in a different uniform. That said, Golden State is bound to lose a few noteworthy pieces whenever the season does end.

Here are those we can expect in different threads once 2024-25 comes around.

3. Dario Saric is coming over, just not back to Golden State

It fills my heart with great sadness to write this as a fervent Process dude, but Dario Saric isn't in the Warriors' postseason rotation from the looks of it. Even with Kevon Looney on the struggle bus, Saric's opportunities have been absorbed by ascendant rookie Trayce Jackson-Davis. While Saric could theoretically re-sign on another cheap contract, he would be smart to seek out a more defined role. The Homie can still contribute.

In 63 games (nine starts) this season, Saric has averaged 8.0 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 2.3 assists on .463/.374/.854 splits in 17.2 minutes. Honestly, he's a great fit in Steve Kerr's offense. Saric loves to drop creative dimes, work from the perimeter, and operate in that Discount Draymond vein. Unfortunately, there's a minutes squeeze. It's that simple. Draymond is going to dominate small-ball five minutes, especially in the playoffs, and Jackson-Davis is looking increasingly like a 25-30 minutes per night big.

Saric comes with defensive concerns due to his limited height and athleticism. He's not the most efficient scorer around the basket either, even if he gets extra credit for his bully-ball strength and deep bag of tricks. But, NBA teams should still be drawn to a legitimate stretch five who can toss dimes and supply the competitive spark that Saric does.

I heard the Sixers might need a new backup center next season. Anyhow, treat Saric's remaining minutes in Golden State as a stout farewell.

2. Kevon Looney might quality as Warriors trade bait

Kevon Looney is under contract for a very reasonable $8 million next season. That money is only partially guaranteed, but Golden State — even under its current financial burden — would be silly to let him walk on their dime. The Warriors will pick up his contract. What Golden State does next, however, could land Looney with a new team for the first time in his NBA career.

Remember when Looney finished eighth in Most Improved Player voting last season? Not long ago, Looney was a beloved underdog, the sort of "underrated" dirty work expert who lands on top 100 lists and riles up a certain corner of the internet. Looney was the star in his role — the unsung hero of basketball's great modern dynasty.

Unfortunately, this season has been a rather arduous test of Golden State's faith in Looney. He initially fell out of the starting lineup in favor of Draymond Green small-ball lineups. Now, Trayce Jackson-Davis is slated to start at the five for the Warriors' upcoming postseason run.

Looney is averaging almost eight minutes per game fewer than last season. He's still a diligent screener and rebounder. Some team will bet on his track record and relative youth (28) next season. But, in search of blatantly needed roster upgrades (or cost cuts), don't be shocked if Golden State promptly flips Looney's expiring contract via trade. Jackson-Davis is the future of the Warriors' center position. That is the takeaway here.

1. Chris Paul is too expensive to stick around with Warriors

Chris Paul is due $30 million in non-guaranteed money next season. There are two paths forward for Golden State — nix the deal completely and let Paul enter free agency, or pick up the club option and take Paul into next season. It's a much more expensive version of the same dilemma Golden State faces with Kevon Looney.

We can speak frankly. The idea of Chris Paul as the Warriors' sixth man was always appealing, but Golden State didn't swing that trade to land Paul. The Warriors made that trade to get off of Jordan Poole's contract. As Klay Thompson enters free agency and the new CBA increases the financial strain on Golden State's front office, it's hard to imagine Paul sticking around at his current price point.

There's a real chance the Warriors just say sayonara and let Paul test free agency waters. He could re-sign on a smaller deal — there's no rule against it — but Paul still has enough gas in the tank to convince at least one team to outbid the Warriors. Either that, or he can land a minimum deal with a more serious contender. Boston? Philly? Heck, even the Lakers, if only to team up with his close friend LeBron James.

Golden State's other option is to guarantee Paul's $30 million, and then use it in a trade. That is the preferable route, at least from a fan's perspective. Few trade chips are more valuable than $30 million in expiring money. The Warriors can use that to absorb an expensive star-level contributor or multiple decent role players. This method does not resolve the Warriors' financial woes, so it's probably the less likely outcome. But, if Mike Dunleavy and the front office are serious about building a contender, this is probably the way to go. Paul's salary is a great tool to facilitate a meaningful upgrade.