Golden State Warriors

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Lore & Background

The Warriors' 2025–26 season was defined by injury and decline. After a promising 4-1 start, Jimmy Butler's season-ending ACL injury on January 19, 2026 against the Miami Heat derailed their campaign. The team failed to improve on their 48–34 record from the previous season, confirmed by a March 15 loss to the eventual NBA champion New York Knicks. Their losing season was sealed with an April 5 loss to the Houston Rockets, marking their first losing season since 2020 and first in a full season since 2011. Despite these struggles, they clinched a play-in spot on March 29 for the third straight year, finishing 10th in the West. In the play-in tournament, they staged a comeback win to eliminate the Los Angeles Clippers in the first stage, but were then soundly beaten by the Phoenix Suns in the second round, ending their playoff hopes. This marked the second time in three seasons and the fourth time since 2020 that the Warriors were eliminated from playoff contention.

In Their Own Story

The crowd at Chase Center held its breath as the ball swung around the perimeter. It was March 29, 2026, and the Warriors had just clinched a play-in spot for the third straight year. The season had been a grind—Jimmy Butler was lost for the year on January 19, his knee giving out against the Miami Heat. The team had stumbled to a 10th-place finish in the West, their first losing season since 2020. But hope flickered in the play-in. Against the Los Angeles Clippers, they mounted a comeback win, silencing doubters for one night. Then came the Phoenix Suns. The second round was a different story: the Suns soundly beat them, and the Warriors were eliminated from playoff contention for the second time in three seasons. The arena lights dimmed, and the season was over.

Reader's Guide

The Warriors entered the 2025–26 NBA draft holding only one selection, the 41st overall pick in the second round. This pick originally belonged to the Miami Heat and was conveyed to the Warriors when it fell outside its top-37 protection as part of a December 2024 trade with the Brooklyn Nets. The Warriors had previously traded their original first and second-round selections to Miami (as part of the Jimmy Butler deal in February 2025) and Brooklyn (which ended up with the Memphis Grizzlies on draft night), respectively. During the second round, Golden State traded the draft rights to the 41st pick (Koby Brea) to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for the rights to the 52nd (Alex Toohey) and 59th (Jahmai Mashack) selections. In a subsequent transaction, the Warriors acquired the rights to the 56th pick (Will Richard) from the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for the rights to the 59th pick (Jahmai Mashack), the rights to Justinian Jessup (51st pick in 2020), and a protected 2032 second-round pick.

Did You Know?

• The 2025–26 season was the Warriors' 80th season in the NBA and their seventh at the Chase Center.
• Jimmy Butler suffered a season-ending ACL injury on January 19, 2026 against the Miami Heat.
• The Warriors clinched a play-in spot on March 29 for the third straight year, finishing 10th in the West.
• They eliminated the Los Angeles Clippers in the first play-in stage with a comeback win, but were soundly beaten by the Phoenix Suns in the second round.
• In the 2025 draft, the Warriors traded the rights to the 41st pick (Koby Brea) to the Phoenix Suns for the rights to the 52nd (Alex Toohey) and 59th (Jahmai Mashack) selections.