While the NBA Playoffs are in full swing, now is a good time to recap the fantasy basketball season for all 30 teams.
In the following weeks, we will provide a recap for each team, starting with the team with the worst record and concluding with the NBA champion in June.
A Stephen Curry hamstring injury ended Golden State’s postseason run, and their core isn’t getting any younger. This team will look to improve this summer to try and win their fifth championship since Steve Kerr took over as head coach.
Golden State Warriors 2024-25 Season Recap
Record: 48-34 (7th, West, lost second round)
Offensive Rating: 114.2 (16th)
Defensive Rating: 111.0 (7th)
Net Rating: 3.2 (10th)
Pace: 99.37 (17th)
2025 Draft Picks: 41
Prior to trading for Jimmy Butler, the Warriors were a fairly average team. With a 25-26 record, they were a fringe playoff team. However, after Butler suited up for the first time on February 8, Golden State went 23-8 with the best defensive rating in the league and third-best net rating during that stretch. They were able to defeat the Grizzlies in the play-in tournament and the Rockets in the first round before falling to Minnesota in the conference semifinals. Curry’s hamstring injury kept him sidelined for Games 2-5, and while he was targeting a return in Game 6, they weren’t able to get a win without him.
The Warriors seem to be all-in on trying to get another ring, but this is a team that is centered around three players that are 35 or older. To say their window could close rapidly would be an understatement. Though Curry, Butler and Draymond Green are all still playing at a high level, Golden State will need to make some moves this summer to ensure this team is deep enough to compete in the playoffs next year. There are plenty of question marks about what this roster will look like next season, and it could change again by next February’s trade deadline.
Fantasy Standout: Stephen Curry
It was another successful season for Curry, who averaged 24.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 1.1 steals and 4.4 three-pointers per game across 70 appearances. He was once again a top-10 player in fantasy basketball despite playing just 32.2 minutes per game, which was the lowest average among every player that provided first-round value in nine-cat leagues this past season. Even at 37 years old, Curry continues to be one of the best players in the league.
Though he may only have a few seasons left, Curry is playing at such a high level that the Warriors will continue to build for a championship. The addition of more talent could mean that Curry’s minutes will continue to be limited, but he showed this past season that he can still fill up the box score without playing 35 minutes per game. The priority for Golden State will continue to be the postseason, not the regular season. However, Curry has been able to play at least 70 games in each of the last two seasons, which is a trend that will hopefully continue next season. If it does, he’ll continue to be one of the best players in fantasy basketball.
Fantasy Revelation: Quinten Post
The second-round pick came along late for Golden State, but he played a large role down the stretch as a floor-spacing center. He averaged 8.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.7 threes in 16.3 minutes per game in 42 games, which included 14 starts. He made his NBA debut in December and became part of the rotation in January. He started twice in the playoffs, but he was barely in the rotation for the Minnesota series.
Golden State hasn’t been a hub for young talent to develop in recent years, but Post was able to provide the Warriors with a stretch five, which is something they haven’t really had often during the Steph Curry era. When he was on the floor, Post was able to have some solid games as a shot blocker and as a rebounder, but his strongest attribute was his ability to shoot from distance. The 25-year-old will have a chance to be part of the rotation again next season, though it would be surprising if the Warriors didn’t look to upgrade at center during the offseason.
Fantasy Disappointment: Jonathan Kuminga
Kuminga’s tenure with Golden State continues to be a roller coaster. He averaged 15.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists and one three-pointer in 24.3 minutes per game this season. He was out of the rotation by the time the playoffs came around, and he only took on minutes after injuries to Jimmy Butler and Curry. Over the final four games of the Minnesota series, Kuminga averaged 24.3 points per game, which was a great way to enter restricted free agency.
After the best year of his career during the 2023-24 season, Kuminga regressed in year four, which most notably showed in his field goal percentage. He shot 45.4 percent from the floor, which was the first time in his career that he shot below 50 percent. That could’ve been his last season as a Warrior, and he finished outside the top 300 in nine-cat scoring. He’ll look for a contract with a new team, and while Golden State could choose to match it, the best path for Kuminga may be to get a fresh start with a team that is willing to prioritize him. He’s only 22, so there is still time for him to figure things out.
Fantasy Recaps/Look-Aheads
Jimmy Butler
Butler played in 30 games for Golden State after being traded by the Heat ahead of the deadline. He averaged 17.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.7 steals in 32.7 minutes per game for the Warriors. Butler “got his joy back” after the trade, and he helped Golden State have the best defensive rating in the league after the All-Star break. He exited early from Game 2 against Houston and missed Game 3, but he was able to return after that and play in the rest of their playoff games. However, the Warriors traded for him to be a second star, but he didn’t step up with Curry sidelined; aside from his 33-point Game 3 against Minnesota, Butler scored less than 20 points three times with Curry sidelined, and the Warriors lost four in a row.
Butler is still capable of producing at a high level, and he will have a full offseason to get acclimated to his new organization. That should help them be more prepared for a run next season. However, Butler will be 36 at the start of next season, and he hasn’t played 65 games in a season since 2019, which was his lone season with the 76ers. If he’s healthy for the playoffs next year, Golden State will be a dangerous team. However, it’s unclear if the change of scenery will help him be available more often during the regular season. He only missed one regular season game after debuting for the Warriors, so hopefully that theme will continue next season.
Draymond Green
On his way to his ninth All-Defensive First Team nod, Green averaged 9.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.5 steals, 1.0 block and 1.2 triples per game. He shot 42.4 percent from the floor, which really limited his nine-cat value, but he continued to provide the well-rounded stats that have helped him be valuable in category leagues for a long time. At 35 years old, Green is still playing at a high level, especially on the defensive end. He knows his role, and he’s one of the best in the league at what he does. For fantasy managers, he’ll continue to be a flawless fit in a punt-points build in category leagues.
Brandin Podziemski
It was a slow start to the season for Podz, but by the end of it, he was an integral piece in Golden State’s rotation. He averaged 11.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.8 triples per game while starting in 33 of his 64 games played. Podz became a full-time starter right before the All-Star break., and he averaged 15.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.0 steal and 2.7 threes per game after the break. He was expected to have a big season after a strong rookie year, and it finally happened after they traded for Butler. Podz could end up as a valuable trade piece, but if Golden State prefers to keep him around, his finish to last season was encouraging. Depending on how this roster changes this summer, Podz will have a good chance to be a starter again next season.
Buddy Hield
Hield was brought in to help make up for the loss of Klay Thompson. While he wasn’t able to replicate the production of one of the greatest shooters of all-time (surprise, surprise), he was able to contribute 11.1 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 2.5 triples per game. Hield was inconsistent, but when he was hot, he was able to make a big impact for a team that prioritizes the three-point shot. Hield will likely remain a strong reserve option for Golden State that will be worth streaming when he’s hot. However, in what is the true Buddy Hield experience, he will also have stretches where he simply doesn’t provide much of anything.
Moses Moody
In the best statistical season of his career, the 2021 lottery pick still didn’t contribute much for fantasy managers. He averaged 9.8 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.7 threes per game this year while starting in 34 of his 74 appearances. Moody is about to enter the first season of a three-year extension that he signed with Golden State, and his role will likely continue to be inconsistent. The Warriors could opt to use him as a trade piece, and he may be able to figure things out with a new team. He was a full-time starter for the final two months of the regular season, but he was pushed to the bench in Game 3 of the Houston series and continued to play a reserve role for the rest of the playoffs. If he remains in Golden State, he will likely continue to have his role fluctuate, which has been an issue throughout his tenure with the team.
Gary Payton II
As one of the best defenders on the team, Payton II didn’t contribute much in the box score. He averaged 6.5 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 15 minutes per game. When he plays a large role GPII is certainly capable of contributing steals, but he just didn’t get that opportunity this past season, and it’s unlikely that he plays enough next season to provide much value in fantasy basketball.
Trayce Jackson-Davis
Until the end of January, Jackson-Davis was locked in as the starting center. However, he was practically out of the rotation for the second half of the regular season before returning to the starting lineup for Games 3-5 against Minnesota. In the regular season, he played 15.6 minutes per game despite starting 37 of his 62 games and averaged 6.6 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game. He is certainly capable of providing rebounds, blocks and a high field goal percentage when he gets the chance, but he didn’t get the opportunity during the second half of the season. Unless that changes next year, he won’t be valuable in fantasy.
Restricted Free Agents: Jonathan Kuminga, Pat Spencer, Kevin Knox, Taran Armstrong
Unrestricted Free Agents: Gary Payton II, Kevon Looney, Braxton Key
Team Option: Gui Santos, Quinten Post
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