The schedule for the 2024-25 season has been released by the NBA. The new campaign will tip off on October 22, but it will not feature Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors , who have played on Opening Night for four straight years.
Instead, the two opening night matchups will feature the defending NBA champion Boston Celtics hosting the New York Knicks at TD Garden, followed by the Minnesota Timberwolves visiting the L.A. Lakers at Crypto.com Arena.
With the Warriors not included in the Opening Night slate, who are they facing to open their season?
Stephen Curry and the Warriors will open the season on the road and take on the Portland Trail Blazers on October 23. It isn’t quite the marquee matchup that NBA fans have been used to seeing Curry and company in to open their campaign.
Though they are no longer viewed as championship contenders, Golden State still features one of the most electric superstars in the NBA in Curry, who just lit up the Olympics this past summer. Portland, meanwhile, is among the worst teams in the NBA and is currently going through a rebuilding phase.
As mentioned, the Warriors have been on the Opening Night schedule since the 2020-21 season and have only missed one (2020-21) over the last nine years. After tipping off their campaign against Portland, they move on to Salt Lake City to take on the Utah Jazz two days later.
Golden State Warriors First 5 Games – 2024-25 Season
October 23, Portland Trail Blazers, 10:00 PM (ET)
October 25, Utah Jazz, 9:30 PM (ET)
October 27, Los Angeles Clippers, 8:30 PM (ET)
October 29, New Orleans Pelicans, 10:00 PM (ET)
October 30, New Orleans Pelicans, 10:00 PM (ET)
The Warriors won’t play at Chase Center until October 27, when they have their home opener against Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, and the Los Angeles Clippers.
Despite not being featured as much during the NBA’s opening week, the Warriors are still one of the marquee attractions in the NBA. They have the second-most nationally televised games this season with 36, behind the L.A. Lakers’ 38.
Likewise, they are in the primetime slot of the NBA’s Christmas Day slate, where they will face LeBron James and the Lakers.
In some capacity, this upcoming 2024-25 season marks a new era for the Warriors franchise. Sure, Stephen Curry and Draymond Green are still in the fold. But the 2024 offseason saw franchise legend Klay Thompson end his 13-year tenure in the Bay Area and move on to the Dallas Mavericks , marking the end of the Big Three era in Golden State.
With Curry still one of the top players in the league, the Warriors are still looking to compete for a championship. The front office has been finding ways to improve the roster surrounding their franchise superstar. But so far, it has failed to land another big name to pair with the two-time NBA MVP.
Golden State attempted to make a run at Paul George via trade just prior to free agency. But the Clippers were reportedly unwilling to deal George to their Western Conference rival. As a result, George wound up becoming a free agent, making him unattainable for the Warriors, and ended up signing with the Philadelphia 76ers .
The Warriors also tried to go after Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen. However, Golden State was reportedly not willing to meet Utah’s steep price for the All-Star. There were also reports that the Jazz actually had no intention parting ways with the 27-year-old.
Markkanen ended up signing a massive five-year extension with the Jazz and is not eligible to be traded this entire 2024-25 season.
Nonetheless, the Warriors still made solid moves around the edges to compensate for their losses this summer, which included Thompson. They signed sharpshooter Buddy Hield, 3-and-D wing De’Anthony Melton, and steady veteran forward Kyle Anderson in free agency.
Moreover, the Warriors are banking on their young studs such as Jonathan Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski to make their respective leaps this season.
It will be interesting to see how Golden State’s 2024-25 season goes. Their season-opener against Portland should give a glimpse of how this team looks.
