Kings, Warriors need to sign another player soon

March 16, 2025

Two teams — the Kings and Warriors — are nearing NBA-mandated deadlines to add players to their standard rosters, as both clubs have been operating below the required 14-player minimum, as relayed by Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors.

Under league rules, teams may carry fewer than 14 standard-contract players for up to two weeks at a time, with a maximum allowance of 28 days over the course of a season.

Sacramento Kings

The Kings have been managing their roster around the 14-player threshold since their February 3 trade of De’Aaron Fox, which sent out three players while bringing back only two. The team briefly met the minimum when it signed Markelle Fultz on February 13 but dipped back to 13 players on February 18 after Daishen Nix‘s 10-day contract expired.

Sacramento again reached 14 players with the signing of Skal Labissiere to a 10-day contract on March 3 but fell below the limit once more when his deal expired on March 13.

As a result, the Kings are approaching the 28-day maximum and must add another player by March 18 to comply with NBA rules. If they use their full allowance, they will be unable to drop below 14 players again for the remainder of the season.

Golden State Warriors

The Warriors also dipped below the 14-player minimum following their February 6 acquisition of Jimmy Butler, a deal that saw them send out four players. Golden State initially addressed the shortfall by signing Kevin Knox and Yuri Collins to 10-day contracts on February 19.

When those deals expired on March 1, the team re-signed Knox but did not bring back Collins, leaving them under the limit for three days before promoting Pat Spencer to a standard contract on March 4.

The Warriors remained at 14 players until March 11, when Knox’s second 10-day contract expired. Since then, they have been operating with just 13 standard-contract players, meaning they must make a roster addition by March 23 if they intend to use their full 28-day allowance.

Knox appears to be a leading candidate for a rest-of-season deal, though no formal agreement has been reported.

The Warriors also have the flexibility to fill both their 14th and 15th roster spots while remaining under the hard cap, as Adams noted, giving them additional options as the regular season nears its conclusion.