Nearly a full month after the official dawn of free agency, the Golden State Warriors are still without the center many expected them to sign. A laundry list of names have been linked to Golden State, but as it currently stands, Trayce Jackson-Davis and Quinten Post are set to offer the only source of support to Draymond Green at the 5-spot.

Thankfully for the Warriors, a new opportunity to sign a player fans are quite familiar with has arisen, as Nikola Vucevic appears to be the next big name headed to the buyout market.

Vucevic, 34, has become one of more polarizing names in trade discussions. He offers high-level production from a modern 5, but concerns over his defensive acumen have resulted in a surprisingly quiet summer for the two-time All-Star.

According to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, the lack of an ideal market for Vucevic has created the realistic possibility that he could agree to a buyout instead of waiting out a trade.

“We’ve been talking about how there hasn’t been much of a market for Nikola Vucevic all along, dating back to last trade deadline. I think at this juncture, we’re probably more likely to see a Nikola Vucevic buyout mid-season than we are to see a trade.”

In turn, one of the Warriors’ longest-speculated targets at center could become available for a fraction of the price they were once expected to have to pay—if they wait for a maybe.

Nikola Vucevic could be midseason buyout option, but can Warriors afford to wait?

Fischer notes that Vucevic could be a midseason buyout candidate, thus meaning the Warriors may need to wait several months before bringing him aboard. That puts the front office in a complicated position as far as what it’s next move should be.

Golden State could attempt to wait out the Chicago Bulls and scoop Vucevic up via the buyout market, but it may be sacrificing other valid options in the process.

That includes long-rumored target Al Horford, who would fit well with the team in place—albeit at 39 years of age. Horford is a former NBA champion and a player heralded for having a team-first mentality and a level of defensive acumen that has superceded his athletic decline.

One might even argue that Horford is a better fit for the Warriors based on his style of play, postseason experience, and superior defensive abilities.

Signing Horford is far from an inevitability, however, which makes renewed interest in Vucevic a viable option. Jackson-Davis and Post could provide sufficient value in the short term, with the latter even displaying similar offensive characteristics to Vucevic.

In 2024-25, Post finished with rookie-year averages of 8.1 points and 1.7 three-point field goals made in just 16.3 minutes per game, shooting 40.8 percent from beyond the arc.

Vucevic, meanwhile, is a proven commodity coming off of a season in which he averaged 18.5 points, 10.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.8 three-point field goals made on .530/.402/.805 shooting. That level of production would certainly alleviate some of the offensive workload from Jimmy Butler and Stephen Curry.

One simply can’t help but wonder if the Warriors can afford to wait until the season has begun to address the need for improvement at center.