The Golden State Warriors have spent the early part of the season searching for clarity.
At 16–15, Golden State sits just above .500, competitive on most nights but clearly short of the standard set by the Western Conference’s true contenders. Despite still leaning on the experience of Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, and Draymond Green, the Warriors have struggled to establish consistent control in the paint on either end of the floor.
That reality has quietly shaped how the front office is evaluating potential roster changes.
And according to one league insider, Golden State may be exploring one of the biggest swings available.
Warriors Linked to Anthony Davis by Chris Haynes
GettyMavericks forward Anthony Davis looks to shoot. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)
NBA insider Chris Haynes revealed that the Warriors have discussed what it would take to pursue Anthony Davis, signaling how aggressively the organization is examining options to reshape its frontcourt.
Haynes explained that Golden State’s focus has centered on adding a defensive anchor who can immediately raise the team’s ceiling:
“I was told the Warriors are contemplating making a case to acquire Anthony Davis,” Haynes said. “They’re looking for a big man, a rim-running big who can protect the paint and be a lob threat.”
Haynes was careful to note that any deal would be complex.
The Dallas Mavericks, he added, are not especially motivated by Golden State’s current asset pool, making a straightforward two-team trade unlikely.
“If the Warriors want to make a true play at Anthony Davis,” Haynes said, “they would likely have to acquire more assets or involve another team.”
That framing places the idea firmly in exploratory territory. Still, the fact it is being discussed at all reflects the urgency behind Golden State’s internal evaluations.
Why Golden State Are Exploring the Center Position
GettyDraymond Green and Steve Kerr of the Golden State Warriors.
Golden State’s issues have not been subtle.
The Warriors have struggled to consistently protect the rim, control defensive rebounds, and generate easy interior offense when perimeter shots dry up. Those gaps have become more pronounced against larger, more physical opponents.
Davis, when healthy, addresses all of those concerns at once.
In limited action this season, the 32-year-old has continued to produce at a high level, averaging over 20 points and double-digit rebounds while anchoring defenses with his length and instincts. His ability to finish above the rim, defend multiple positions, and operate without heavy usage would fit naturally alongside Curry’s gravity and Green’s playmaking.
From a basketball standpoint, the appeal is obvious.
From a durability standpoint, the risk is just as clear.
The Risk Profile Golden State Would Be Accepting
Any conversation involving Davis starts with the same reality.
Availability.
But for Golden State, the risk goes deeper than health. It cuts into the structure of the roster and forces choices the organization has delayed for years.
Jonathan Kuminga sits at the center of it. Around the league, January 15 is widely viewed as the point when his Warriors chapter can finally close. His contract is not just movable. It is essential. In 2025–26, Kuminga will earn a base salary of $22.5 million, a figure that immediately becomes the foundation of any serious pursuit of a max-level player.
Buddy Hield helps at the edges. His $9.2 million deal in 2025–26 can be layered in. But even together, those contracts fall far short of Davis’ $54.1 million salary.
That is where the risk sharpens.
To make the math work, Golden State would have to include one of its pillars. There is no workaround. No creative accounting. No soft landing.
Only a choice.
The Decision That Would Define the Warriors’ Direction
From there, it becomes philosophical.
Is Butler the piece that moves? He is the second-highest paid player on the roster, an All-Star caliber presence, and still the team’s clearest secondary scorer behind Curry. The Warriors traded for him to extend this window. Moving him now would be a dramatic pivot, but it would preserve the Curry–Green partnership while adding a new cornerstone to chase one more title.
Or does the harder option finally become real?
Green remains foundational, but decline is no longer theoretical. His offensive limitations have tightened lineups. His recent sideline blowup with Steve Kerr was another Draymond controversial moment in a career full of them. For the first time, the idea of Green being included in a major deal feels possible rather than untouchable.
Still, history carries weight.
Curry, Green, and Kerr have shared too much to reduce a decision like this to cap math alone. Any move involving that core would require full alignment, not just logic on paper.
That is the gamble in front of them.
A new trio built around Curry, Butler, and Davis. Or a reshaping that keeps Curry and Green together while redefining everything else.
Why This Fits the Warriors’ Reality Right Now
GettySteph Curry of the Golden State Warriors remains among the best players in the NBA.
The middle ground has run its course.
Since the 2022 title, Golden State has tried to straddle timelines. Not rebuilding. Not fully committing. Three seasons of small adjustments without momentum.
The result is exactly where they are now.
Curry is still elite. That demands urgency. But urgency does not eliminate risk. It reframes it.
A move for Davis would be the clearest possible commitment to maximizing what remains. Defensive dominance. Playoff gravity. A true ceiling-raiser when healthy.
But it would also double down on volatility.
Davis’ injury history is not a footnote. It is the cost of admission. And the Warriors must decide whether that gamble is worth taking, or whether the smarter play is pivoting toward younger, more durable stars who still raise the ceiling without carrying the same downside. Players like Michael Porter Jr. or Trey Murphy may not offer Davis’ peak impact, but they reduce the margin for collapse.
After years of hovering between paths, Golden State is approaching a moment where hesitation is no longer an option. Whatever direction they take, it will say everything about how they view what remains of the Stephen Curry era.
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