The Golden State Warriors have had a quiet offseason as they prepare to rebound from a second-round playoff exit to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The team hasn't made any major changes to its roster while in contract negotiations with restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga. Still, the Warriors will aim to round out their roster in the coming weeks before training camp.
They'll have a challenging path back to the NBA Finals in a stacked Western Conference. The defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder, the Houston Rockets, the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota are all expected to contend in the West.
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What Draymond Green said about Nikola Jokic
Among the many challengers in the West, the Nuggets have retooled their roster and remain a contender with three-time MVP Nikola Jokic leading the way. Veteran big man Draymond Green recently made an appearance on Kai Cenat's live stream, naming Jokic the toughest player to guard in the league.
“The hardest now is Joker,” Green said. “I play with Steph so I don't have that headache. Joker — Luka Doncic will always be one of the toughest covers, but that ain't my matchup. Of my matchups, the hardest to guard right now is Joker.”
The Warriors and Nuggets have history in the postseason and could collide again in 2026. Their last playoff meeting came during Golden State's 2022 championship run, when the Warriors eliminated Denver in five games. Still, Jokic averaged 31.0 points, 13.2 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.0 blocks across 34.2 minutes per game during that series.
Green has long been familiar with Jokic's impact. In 21 career regular-season games against Green and the Warriors, Jokic has averaged 17.8 points, 9.5 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 1.6 steals while shooting 50.5 percent from the field in 29.8 minutes per game.
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