Three Cuts Later, the Roster Is Set. The Hard Questions Aren't.
Golden State waived Alex Toohey, Dalen Terry and Tyler Burton on October 18, closing out the roster three days before the opener without touching the two things actually hanging over this team.
The Warriors parted with Toohey, Terry and Burton the same morning, trimming the roster to 15 ahead of the October 21 opener at the Lakers. None of it moves the payroll number that matters or answers what is actually wrong with Kristaps Porzingis.
The cuts were about numbers, not talent
HoopsRumors had flagged the Terry move on October 16, and it landed October 18 alongside Toohey and Burton, all three leaving via waiver on the same transaction log. Burton had only joined the team on October 12 on an Exhibit 10 deal; Terry had scored 23 points against Portland back on October 7. Camp-stage roster math, not a verdict on either player, cleared the end of the bench with the opener five days out.
The apron number didn't move
Golden State's payroll sits at $223.3 million, still above the second apron, with Curry at $62.6 million and Butler at $56.8 million leading the way. Trimming three Exhibit 10 and two-way-level salaries off a 15-man roster was never going to touch that line, and nothing in the three moves changes the Warriors' apron math heading into the regular season.
Porzingis still has no explanation attached
He has been out since September 28, now formally listed with an estimated return of November 9, and the cause remains Undisclosed. Butler is out until January 2 with a right leg issue and Moody is out until December 1 with a left knee issue, both specific. Porzingis is the one name on this injury list without a stated diagnosis, and five days from the opener that gap hasn't closed.
Monday starts the stretch that counts
The Lakers rematch on October 21 opens the real schedule, with Memphis, Phoenix and Denver following within a week. Golden State closed preseason 3-0 in its last three outings, but every one of those numbers resets the moment the opener tips.
Why did the Warriors waive Alex Toohey, Dalen Terry and Tyler Burton?
All three left the roster on October 18 as part of final camp cuts ahead of the regular-season opener; HoopsRumors had reported the Terry move as planned two days earlier.
What is wrong with Kristaps Porzingis?
He has been out since September 28 with no cause specified beyond Undisclosed/Other, and his estimated return is November 9.
