What began as a championship-chasing campaign has deteriorated into a last-gasp play-in fight to save face. For Steve Kerr, year 12 on the Warriors’ sideline is shaping up as one of the most grueling of his tenure, rivaled only by that injury-ravaged 2019-20 last season.

The Dubs will go up against Kawhi Leonard and the LA Clippers in the final round of play-in games scheduled for tonight. But as their hopes of cracking the top eight in the West hang in the balance, 3x NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas questions the importance of ‘losing.’ sometimes.

“If you’re Golden State, right now, you get a lottery pick. Why would I want to make the playoffs? Why do I want to get to the eighth spot?” Arenas questioned on Tuesday’s segment of Gil’s Arena. “I remember I said, ‘why if I’m 10th and I’ve been 10th all year, why would I even want to win if I don’t get no benefit?’ I think Steph coming back, and then I think they’re actually like ‘we can still make a run’. But what I’m saying is with him, they’re still the Warriors, right?”

He was quick to highlight how the Dallas Mavericks calculated their odds last season and the move paid off when they bagged the number one pick, ROTY frontrunner Cooper Flagg.

“Remember, I said if Dallas tries to make the playoffs, all this losing all year, they don’t get a lottery pick… they would have got 14. So the fact that they didn’t make it, they got a chance to get the number one pick.”

From the outside, it looks like Stephen Curry and Kerr are doing what they always do this time of year: talking about belief, focusing on the next opponent, and insisting the Warriors can still mount a championship run as the 10th seed. But as Arenas and a portion of the Dubs faithful see it, GSW’s reality is far less romantic.

The front office is already juggling more pressing questions about draft position, cap flexibility, and how to reshape a roster battered by injuries and time.

An aging core, a brutal play-in path, and a lottery ticket all factor into an important decision for the franchise to make tonight. The rational mind will always side with Arenas and the like, but a loyalist will want his team to challenge on all fronts.

What awaits Stephen Curry and the Warriors in the summer of 2026?

Arenas’s argument raises a bigger question for the front office: is a brief playoff push worth sacrificing a chance at a meaningful reset heading into next season? If the Warriors truly prioritize the future, their current chase for a feel-good playoff cameo may ultimately work against a smoother transition into the post-Curry era.

The summer of 2026 could turn into a full-blown identity crisis disguised as the offseason. The rumor mills are working overtime, hinting that the Warriors are in the market for another superstar to add alongside Curry, Butler, Green and Kristaps Porzingis. LeBron James is a name gaining traction, with narratives painting a ‘last dance’ scenario for Bron, Curry and Green.

At 41, James is proving his worth by leading an injury-ravaged Lakers outfit as the primary offensive force in the absence of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. The veteran averaged 25.5 points over the last four games, positioning himself and his teammates for a potential upset in the first round playoffs vs. former Warrior Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets.

But another name that’s been linked to GSW since February’s trade window is wantaway Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. After an injury-ravaged campaign and the exit of Doc Rivers from the locker room, the Greek Freak’s tenure in Wisconsin appears to be at a crossroads.

As the Bucks position for a rebuild, it gives teams like Miami, New York, and Golden State a shot at landing a proven franchise centerpiece.

Leonard and Cleveland Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell have also been linked, but no concrete reports confirm those connections yet. The dream scenarios practically write themselves.

In reality, however, Mike Dunleavy Jr. and Joe Lacob will likely explore large-scale moves, with almost everything short of a Curry trade on the table.