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The Golden State Warriors have a major problem on the wing after losing Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody to serious knee injuries last season. With both players expected to miss the start of the 2026-27 campaign, rookie Yaxel Lendeborg is already projected to open the year as the starting small forward.
Golden State has spent most of the offseason chasing LeBron James, with Draymond Green even declining his player option to create more financial breathing room. The idea was simple. Give the Warriors enough flexibility to offer LeBron more money than some of his other possible destinations and sell him on one final run with Stephen Curry.
That possibility now looks much less likely. Everything seems to be moving toward the Heat after their official YouTube channel accidentally scheduled a LeBron introductory press conference before quickly deleting it. The organization later called it a mistake, but the whole situation made Miami feel like the obvious favorite.
If LeBron doesn’t arrive, the Warriors could simply start Lendeborg and hope he survives until Butler returns around February from a serious ACL tear. That would be a massive gamble, especially because Butler will be 37 and might not return as the same player.
The better option would be using the remaining cap flexibility created for LeBron on another available wing. Several interesting players are still unsigned, and some could give the Warriors immediate scoring, size, or athleticism while Butler and Moody recover.
Here are the best fallback options for the Warriors if their LeBron chase finally ends.
4. Ochai Agbaji
A very underrated low-risk option for their shooting and perimeter defense could be betting on a former rookie standout in Ochai Agbaji. The previous Jazz, Raptors, and Nets player would come cheap after Brooklyn declined to give him an $8.8 million qualifying offer, turning him into an unrestricted free agent. There hasn’t been any direct report linking him to Golden State, but he should be available on a small contract.
Agbaji averaged only 5.1 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 0.8 assists in 15.7 minutes last season, shooting 43.6% from the field and a tough 26.6% from three. Those numbers don’t look exciting, and he lost most of the momentum he built the year before with the Raptors.
The Warriors would really be betting on his 2024-25 version. That season he put up 10.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.5 assists while shooting 49.8% from the field and 39.9% from three. His effective field-goal percentage reached 59.1%, landing in the 86th percentile among wings, and he also kept turnovers low.
That player would help Golden State a lot. At 6’5” and 215 pounds, Agbaji runs the floor hard, can defend guards and some wings, and doesn’t need the ball to stay involved. He could play next to Curry or Brandin Podziemski, knock down corner threes, cut behind defenders, and handle tough perimeter assignments for 15 to 20 minutes a night.
The main issue is that he wouldn’t solve the Warriors’ biggest offensive problem. Agbaji doesn’t create much off the dribble, doesn’t run pick-and-rolls well, and averaged fewer than one assist per game last season. If his shooting stays near 26.6%, he becomes another limited offensive piece next to Green and possibly Lendeborg.
I still like him as a minimum-contract gamble because the downside is small. The Warriors need healthy wings, and Agbaji is only 26, athletic, and just one season removed from shooting nearly 40% from three. Still, he ranks fourth because he projects more as emergency depth than a player who can really change their season.
3. Mario Hezonja
A more intriguing gamble for the Warriors could come from Mario Hezonja, who is a completely different player now compared to the one who left the NBA in 2020. At 31, he is more physical, more experienced, and arrives after winning MVP honors in Spain this past season.
Hezonja averaged 17.5 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.9 assists in the Liga Endesa while playing a key role for Real Madrid throughout another long European campaign. He has developed into a stronger forward who can punish smaller defenders, attack closeouts, create his own shots, and play both forward positions.
Marc Stein reported that multiple NBA teams have shown interest in him, with many of them waiting on LeBron’s decision. Stein didn’t mention Golden State directly, so this feels more like a logical possible fit than a direct target.
His contract situation is still unclear, though. Early reports said he activated an exit clause around €850,000, but a later story from AS indicated he missed the payment deadline and remains under contract with Real Madrid. The Warriors would need Hezonja and the club to agree on a release before signing him if that’s the case.
On the court, the idea works well. The 6’8” forward is comfortable handling the ball and can score without needing Curry to create everything for him. He could start at small forward, slide to power forward in bigger lineups, and give Golden State another confident shooter who isn’t afraid of big moments.
He would also fit the Warriors’ passing system much better now after years of high-level European basketball, where quick decisions, cutting, screening, and reading defenses are essential. The Warriors wouldn’t need him to be a star, but just around 10 to 13 points, solid shooting, and competitive defense every night.
The risk remains high because success overseas doesn’t always translate back to the NBA, especially after six years away. Hezonja also shot only 30.7% from three in EuroLeague play last season, so his jumper wasn’t dominant in every competition. He would be a fun signing and probably a more useful offensive player than Agbaji, but Golden State would still be taking a calculated guess. I would offer him a short deal with limited guarantees instead of treating him as the main answer after missing LeBron.
2. DeMar DeRozan
A very realistic and familiar fallback for the Warriors is DeMar DeRozan, who has already been discussed internally by the team as an alternative while waiting on LeBron. His release from the Kings makes a deal much simpler since Golden State wouldn’t need to send out salary or draft picks.
DeRozan averaged 18.4 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 4.1 assists across 77 games last season while shooting 49.7% from the field, 32.0% from three, and posting a 59.4% true shooting percentage. He is no longer the 27-point scorer from his Bulls days, but he remains a reliable half-court creator who almost never misses games.
That durability is huge for Golden State. Curry missed 39 games last season, Butler is recovering from ACL surgery, Moody has a serious knee injury, and Porzingis has never been the most reliable when it comes to health. The Warriors can’t build everything around players who might not be available.
DeRozan could step in right away as the second offensive option next to Curry. He can attack mismatches, create shots late in the clock, draw fouls, and lead bench units when Curry rests. The Warriors have struggled for years to create efficient offense without Curry, and DeRozan would at least give them someone who can make his own shots.
The fit wouldn’t be perfect all the time. DeRozan made only 0.6 threes per game last season and has never been a high-volume spacer. Playing him alongside Green and Lendeborg could let defenses pack the paint, and his defense wouldn’t fully replace what Butler or Moody bring. Steve Kerr would need to surround him with shooters to make it work.
DeRozan will also turn 37 before the season starts, so this would be another short-term addition to an already old roster. Still, I would sign him if the price is right. He is the most proven scorer available and the only one here who can comfortably create 18 points per game right now. He ranks second only because Mathurin offers a longer timeline and better long-term value after the Curry era.
1. Bennedict Mathurin
Golden State Warriors Receive: Bennedict Mathurin (sign-and-trade, four-year, $80.0 million contract)
Los Angeles Clippers Receive: Moses Moody, Gui Santos, 2032 first-round pick (top-10 protected)
The best fallback option for the Warriors would be Bennedict Mathurin, even though he would require the biggest investment and a sign-and-trade deal. The Clippers gave him an $8.8 million qualifying offer, making him a restricted free agent, so Golden State couldn’t just sign him without giving LA a chance to match.
In a possible framework, the Warriors could send Moses Moody, Gui Santos, and a top-10 protected 2032 first-round pick to the Clippers in exchange for Mathurin on a four-year, $80 million contract. This structure isn’t reported, but it gives the Clippers assets instead of matching a deal they might see as too expensive.
Mathurin averaged 17.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.4 assists across 54 games last season while shooting 43.0% from the field, 31.5% from three, and 86.9% from the line. His 57.5% true shooting wasn’t elite, but he got to the free-throw line at a very high rate: 49.6 attempts per 100 field-goal attempts, sixth-highest among qualified players.
That downhill pressure is exactly what Golden State needs. Curry stretches defenses with his shooting, but the Warriors don’t have many healthy players who can attack the rim, absorb contact, and create free throws. Mathurin would bring youth, power, and straight-line scoring while Butler recovers.
He has also shown he can perform in big moments. Mathurin dropped 23 points with five threes in the Clippers’ Play-In loss to the Warriors and scored 27 off the bench in Game 3 of the 2025 NBA Finals.
For the Clippers, $20 million per year would be a tough decision. They acquired Mathurin in the Ivica Zubac trade and still hold his rights, but committing long-term money to an inefficient shooter might not match their plans.
Moody would be the main piece heading back (posted 12.1 points and shot 40.1% from three before the injury), and he has a reasonable $12.5 million salary for next season. Santos would add another young, affordable forward on his extension, plus the protected future pick.
For Golden State, this move is risky but makes sense. Mathurin isn’t a great defender, his 31.5% three-point shooting creates spacing questions, and he still has tunnel vision at times. He averaged only 2.4 assists against 2.2 turnovers, so he isn’t the secondary playmaker LeBron would have been.
The big difference is his age. At 24, Mathurin can drop 20 points on any night and still has clear room to grow. DeRozan might help more in the short term, but Mathurin could become Curry’s long-term secondary scorer and stay part of the roster after Butler and Green are gone. He is the only fallback here who brings immediate scoring, athleticism, and real upside at the same time, which is why he ranks first.
