The Warriors are in a tricky roster-building spot after the Jimmy Butler trade.

The Golden State Warriors are in a tricky spot, roster-wise, in the aftermath of their trade acquiring Jimmy Butler from the Miami Heat. The Dubs had to send away four players to make the deal work, so at the moment, they only have 12 players on the roster, and that’s with Quinten Post’s two-way contract being converted into a standard one on Friday.

At present, the Warriors have just 12 players on standard contracts and two on two-way deals, which means that they can add as many as four players to the roster (three on standard deals, one on a two-way contract) within the next few weeks. But that may not be feasible for the Dubs from a financial standpoint, as they are hard-capped at the first tax apron and they are hovering so close to it that it will be difficult for them to fill the roster.

According to Spotrac, the Warriors have exactly $1,372,306 of wiggle room to work with before they hit the first apron. That gives them exactly one more roster spot to work with on the buyout market (on a prorated minimum contract), and then converting one more two-way player (Pat Spencer) could get them to 14 playoff-eligible players.

To that end, here are a few players that the Warriors can end up targeting on the buyout market to fill at least one roster spot.

Ben Simmons

Many Warriors fans are floating the possibility of Ben Simmons signing with the team. And from a cap perspective, it can work; with the Warriors not being an apron team, they can sign any buyout player regardless of their initial salary for the 2024-25 season.

Simmons’ playmaking and positional versatility makes him quite an appealing target for teams in need of another player they can run the offense around. In the Warriors’ system, Simmons could function as a dribble handoff hub similar to Draymond Green while approximating some of his defensive impact.

Alas, Simmons is very passive when it comes to scoring the basketball, and he has plenty of health-related questions to boot. On paper, the 28-year-old forward could be a good addition for the Warriors, but they might be better off dedicating the little amount of money that they can use to fill out the roster towards someone who is more of a sure thing. They aren’t exactly in a position to be gambling on upside.

Bruce Brown

Now, if there’s anyone worth maximizing the remaining amount of usable money the Warriors have for, it’s Bruce Brown. Brown is a smart player with a penchant for coming up with huge plays, and he proved back in 2023 that he can play an important role for a title-winning team in the Denver Nuggets.

Brown may not be a knockdown shooter, but he more than makes up for it with his defensive work rate and his ability to move without the basketball. He is just the epitome of a winning player, and he could be such an impactful player for a team with contending aspirations such as the Dubs.

However, it’s not quite clear at this point if Brown will be hitting the open market. The New Orleans Pelicans could decide to keep Brown so they can retain his Bird rights. But the Warriors better watch this space.

Bojan Bogdanovic

The last time the Warriors won the championship, they had a sweet-shooting European big man on the roster in Nemanja Bjelica. Now, this is not to say that Bojan Bogdanovic is the same player as Bjelica; Bogdanovic has more ballhandling capabilities, while Bjelica is more versatile defensively.

Bogdanovic, however, has not been able to suit up at all this year due to injury woes. He has been cleared for on-court work, which is a promising sign, but can the Warriors gamble what’s left of their available money on someone who isn’t guaranteed to be an impactful player for them for the stretch run?

Malcolm Brogdon

If Malcolm Brogdon were to be bought out, he would immediately vault atop the rankings of the most talented players on the buyout market. The Warriors can definitely use a man with his skillset; Brogdon isn’t strictly a pick-and-roll guard like Dennis Schroder, which means that he can be a much better fit in the Dubs’ offensive system that’s predicated on movement and passing.

Brogdon, like a few others on this list, is an injury risk as well. However, when healthy, Brogdon has been showing that he still has some gas left in the tank. One can argue that he hasn’t just been playing as much over the past one and a half seasons since he’s been playing for lottery-bound teams. And on the Warriors, he won’t be tasked to play a heavy role anyway, as he should settle in as a steady backup point guard behind Stephen Curry.

Seth Curry

With the Charlotte Hornets going nowhere fast, one would have to think that a few of their players aren’t long for the team. One of those players that could be seeking greener pastures within the coming weeks is veteran guard Seth Curry. And who could ignore the fanfare that it will bring the Warriors if they reunite the Curry brothers?

Alas, bringing the younger Curry in may be nothing more than a novelty act at this point. The 34-year-old shooting guard hasn’t played too often this season, although at the very least, he remains a very capable sharpshooter, shooting 45.1 percent from three on the season. But is adding an undersized guard really what the Dubs want to do to fill out their roster?

Larry Nance Jr.

Of all the players in this list, Larry Nance Jr. is the most unlikely player to reach the buyout market. The Atlanta Hawks are huge fans of Nance, and they have reportedly been rebuffing trade overtures for him. Thus, it’s not looking possible for the Warriors to bring him in.

But Nance profiles as such an ideal get for the Warriors — a versatile big man who can get up for lobs, shoot the occasional three, and has such high basketball IQ, not to mention the fact that he’s been such a welcome locker room presence everywhere he goes.