Gui Santos has given the Warriors a reason to look his way

Thirty starts in 68 games is the part of Gui Santos’ 2025-26 season that deserves the closest attention from the Warriors. It says he was more than a spare forward passing through the rotation. Across 20.5 minutes per game, Golden State gave him enough responsibility to form a real basis for judging what he might become next.

Santos therefore enters the Warriors’ 2026-27 camp with a claim based on work he has already done, rather than a need to introduce himself. Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody are rehabbing knee injuries, and Santos is among the forwards available to be considered in Hawaii. Those circumstances create room for a larger role.

They do not require him to reinvent himself, and they do not make a starting job the only meaningful outcome.

Santos finished last season with 9.2 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. He shot 50% from the field, making 230 of 460 attempts, while committing 102 turnovers against 159 assists. Those numbers describe a player who contributed across an evening without needing a heavy offensive burden.

They also suggest why the Warriors can reasonably ask for more without asking him to become a primary creator.

The next step is the shape of his offense when the ball is not already in his hands. Santos made 78 of 222 3-point attempts, a 35.1% rate on 3.3 attempts per game. That is close to Golden State’s 35.6% team rate from beyond the arc, making him credible enough to demand attention.

It is also a useful rather than dominant weapon. The number supports a larger conversation; it does not settle one.

For an off-ball wing, two paths could make Santos more valuable. If a defender leaves him to help inside, he can be ready to shoot when the pass arrives instead of adding an unnecessary dribble. If they close hard, he can make the next pass and move immediately afterward, giving the possession another chance to develop.

Neither option requires star-level ballhandling. Both require decisions that keep the offense from stalling.

His passing record gives that possibility some substance. The 159 assists and 1.5 turnovers per game point to manageable connective play, especially for a forward working within a modest scoring role. The recommendation is not to chase assists or force activity.

It is to keep the ball moving, recognize the closeout and remain involved after giving it up. A player who can shoot or pass, then move after the pass, offers more lineup flexibility than a stationary spacer.

The caution sits inside Santos’ shooting numbers. A 35.1% rate on 222 threes is respectable, but it is not yet the sort of production that makes every lineup decision easy. A larger assignment would bring more attempts and more situations in which he has to decide quickly.

His 50% overall field-goal rate is encouraging, though it should be read alongside the workload that produced it rather than treated as a complete description of his offensive fit.

That is why his 30 starts matter more as context than as a promise. Golden State has already seen Santos handle regular responsibility, and his 68 appearances show that his season was broad enough to provide a meaningful sample. The question is whether the useful parts can occupy more of his minutes: efficient scoring, sensible passing and enough outside shooting to keep the floor open.

Santos does not need a dramatic camp moment. He needs the quieter confirmation that his existing game can carry a little more weight. If the shooting remains credible, the passing stays clean and his movement continues after he gives up the ball, the Warriors have a straightforward reason to keep looking his way: continuity from the work he has already done.

Sources

San Francisco Chronicle: Warriors camp report

ESPN: 2025–26 statistics

ESPN: 2025–26 statistics