Warriors' follow-up after signing 4 players: still able to offer Kuminga a $22 million annual salary with sufficient funds to sign a 15th player.

On September 29 Beijing time, the Warriors officially decided to sign four players consecutively, including Horford, Kuminga, Payton Jr., and rookie Will Richardson. These deals are likely to be announced formally once Kuminga’s restricted free agency issue is settled. Subsequently, salary analyst Marks offered an interpretation of the Warriors’ status following these four signings.

Horford appeared in 60 regular-season games for the Celtics, averaging 9.0 points and 6.2 rebounds per game, with a three-point shooting percentage of 36.3%. According to data from StatMuse, over the last two seasons, Horford ranks sixth among all centers in the league for made three-pointers.

Payton Jr., with nine years of NBA experience, has spent over four seasons with the Warriors. Despite struggles with injuries in recent years, he still played 62 games last season for Golden State, averaging 15 minutes on the court, contributing 6.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 0.8 steals per game. As a versatile defensive guard/forward, he possesses strong attacking ability in transition offense.

Melton is also a guard known for his defensive skills, though injuries have troubled him in recent years. Before the 2024-25 season, he signed with the Warriors but only played six games due to injury. He was then included in a trade with the Nets to acquire Schröder. While with Golden State, Melton averaged 20.2 minutes per game, scoring 10.3 points, dishing out 2.8 assists, and recording 1.2 steals. Over the past two seasons, he has played just 45 games total, and he aims to rebound in health this upcoming season.

The Warriors also signed rookie Will Richardson to a four-year contract. The 56th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft will receive fully guaranteed salaries for the first two years of this deal.

Richardson has four years of college basketball experience, spending his last three seasons at the University of Florida. In his final college year, he averaged 13.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per game, playing a key role in leading his team to a championship. In six summer league games representing the Warriors, Richardson averaged 11.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.8 steals.

Warriors reporter Slater noted on Twitter that these signings will fill the 9th through 13th spots on the Warriors’ roster. The 14th spot is currently held open, awaiting resolution of Kuminga’s contract situation.

ESPN salary expert Marks further explained that after these four signings, the Warriors currently have 15 players under contract: 12 with guaranteed deals, 2 with partial/non-guaranteed contracts, and 1 on a two-way contract. The Warriors still have the flexibility to sign Jonathan Kuminga to a contract worth about $22 million per year and enough cap space to add a 15th player.