There’s a significant amount of curiosity around the NBA about what the Warriors will do this offseason, writes Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link).
According to Stein, Golden State made a “determined trade run” for Clippers star Kawhi Leonard in the final hour before the February 5 deadline. Los Angeles wasn’t interested in moving Leonard at the time, but the Warriors may revisit that concept this summer.
Rival teams also view the Warriors as “one of the few credible destinations” for Lakers star LeBron James, who will be a free agent this summer, Stein notes.
“It has some legs,” one league source told Stein.
League insiders had already been anticipating that the Warriors would re-sign Kristaps Porzingis this summer, per Stein, and that expectation has increased after the Latvian big man recently praised Rick Celebrini, Golden State’s director of sports medicine and performance.
Here’s more on the Warriors:
- Appearing on the Warriors Plus Minus podcast with Tim Kawakami of The San Francisco Standard, Nick Friedell of The Athletic said he believes Porzingis will be on the roster in 2026/27. “I absolutely, as we’re sitting here right now, believe that Porzingis and the Warriors will work something out where we will see him again next season in a Warriors jersey,” Friedell said (hat tip to HoopsHype).
- Friedell also weighed in on the future of head coach Steve Kerr, whose contract expires after the season. “Stephen Curry wants Steve Kerr,” Friedell said (transcription via HoopsHype). “I’ve been asked repeatedly: ‘Do you think Steve’s coming back?’ I absolutely do because I think this team, especially because of what we’ve been talking about now tonight on this episode, they want to go for it. There’s not another person you’re going to plug in that’s going to take them to some other spot more than Steve Kerr. Plus the fact that Steph wants him and they have a partnership for all these years.“
- In a column for The San Francisco Standard, Kawakami argues the Warriors should pursue either Leonard or James this summer. Kawakami says there are rumblings that the NBA might void the final year of Leonard’s contract, which will pay him $50.3MM in 2026/27, as part of the punishment for the ongoing investigation into the Clippers allegedly circumventing the salary cap to sign the 34-year-old forward. In Kawakami’s scenario, the Warriors would try to re-sign Draymond Green and Porzingis to two-year, $40MM contracts, which would open up the non-taxpayer mid-level exception to sign either Leonard or James, assuming they’re open to taking a major pay cut (the MLE is projected to start at $15.05MM next season).
Warrior fans you watching Michigan.
Yaxel — 27 pts, 7 reb, 4 ast. He can extend Greens career.
He is impressive and his passing is better than what writers talk about. i hop he is still there when the warrior draft. He does remind me a little of Butler in his drives to teh basket.
He’s 6’9” and can play outside. He’s an NBA PF. Lots of guard talent in first rd. Only Bucks could take him imo. Only if Giannis is staying. Otherwise they will go young.
Giannis ain’t staying. There’s no way. Both parties need to move on.
Then we’ll pass on him, I want Draymond’s career over as soon as possible
Anything over minimum for Kristaps is overpaid. Warriors don’t have loads of wiggle room in their cap. Don’t fall for it, you’ll regret it.
Cenac jr or koa Peat for Warriors in the draft for me. As for James or kawhi on this aging and often injured roster, I get Hakeem, Pippen, Drexler, Barkley vibes. Father time is undefeated. Would need sign and trade to sign LeBron and Kristaps me thinks.
Porzingis will get far over the minimum.
Buyers remorse will set in early then.
First the warriors are not trading for Leonard, Giannis, or Lebron. So these sport writers making these trade proposals are just making up click bait articles. last thing teh warriors need is another old injury prone player.
Isn’t LeBron a free agent after this year?
Sign and trade. Warriors will have very little to sign a player so I can’t see him taking a big pay cut to sign with warriors
So let me get this straight they want: Steph, Dray, Jimmy, Porzinglass, and Kawhi all on the same roster? A. I don’t think this will happen. B. How many combined injury days will this roster compile? C. Can this starting five actually compete in playoffS? Not video game roster but IRL.
I don’t buy it all. KP resigning, Kerr staying. That’s all feasible but this Kawhi having his 50mil contract voided to sign for the MLE is outrageous. Lebron too. Why would they take less money when they could get more elsewhere. I don’t think the Warriors front office believes this, just Kawakami being a little ambitious in his ideas lol
It makes no sense for the Lakers to trade James for Butler the only way he could be on the warriors team. Butler contract is untradeable. I wish these writers would understand that Lakers could get a lot more better trade offers for Lebron. Why would teh clippers want Butler over leonard? None of those trades makes sense.
Butler is better than Bron at this point. Bron has a yr left. Might not even make it. He’s a FA. Nobody is paying him big money.
I would never say that some team might flinch. The lakers might bargain down his pay to stay.
It’s Lukas team now. Best to build around him. Bron is 42 man. Money is not important. And nobody is paying him more than 1yr. Midlevel is most imo.
Stop it Al..Butler is not better than Bron as of right now. Btw nobody knows how butler will perform once he fully recovers. Sure they are bold past their prime but if you could choose one right now to push for the championship, James is the obvious choice. It’s just fact, and I’m a butler fan, but it’s the truth. Now in terms of contract, they are both bad to have on your roster because of how much cap space they will take up.
Bron is past his days. Jimmy isn’t. Before his injury he was a better 2way player. Which makes him a better player imo. I have no doubt he will be back the same eventually. Bron is on his last legs.
The injuries that these guys accumulate at their current age, tells a different story. Acl issues in your late 30s is not a good sign for anyone looking to chase a ring, that’s just fact Al. Butler is good, but that was before he got hurt. All I’m saying is, to go through so much like that in the late stages of your career, it can change everything..I respect that you have faith in jimmy’s ability to recover but I’m looking at what history has shown us already. And guys over 30 don’t recover quickly from acl tears. And when jimmy does recover, who knows if that team will still be enough to win it all at that point in time. Only time will tell it all ig..
what do you mean “he has a year left”? the Butler is better is very argumentative too. He’s posting great numbers as a 3rd option.
Bron doesn’t play D anymore. Why would any team invest in a guy who be done after any game. You think he’s playing forever. Jimmy is still s top 5 2way player. He will be back from injury. He like Bron is one best conditioned ballers ever. Bron is 42 in Dec. Jimmy is 37 in September. Bron is done.
Lebron could make some sense. If he isn’t feeling prioritized with LAL, and wants to move on, GSW make some sense. He could be like Draymond where he lives in LA, and has an apartment in SF. Other than the Clippers its the only other franchise where he could commute from LA. He doesn’t need the money, and will make a boatload off endorsements.
He gets to play with Steph, which I think he enjoys, and if the old guys won a title nobody would be whining about a super team who’s stars are 38/41. It would be kinda funny if the old guys figured it out and bucked the young teams one last time. Lebron retiring after winning his and Stephs 5th titles would be poetic, and one of the best ways this could end.
Where did they say that?
You need someone to say it little giant. Use your fingers and search it.
It doesn’t say anything about them trading for BOTH Porzingis AND Leonard. It is probably like all that talk of Draymond to the Bucks. Dunleavy said he wasn’t going to do it. It was all just talk.
Pretty hard for the Warriors to trade for Kristaps atm.
And they would not have done it in the past.
What planet are you on? It’s hard to trade for a guy already on your roster.
Um…They were talking about what happened at the Trade Deadline when neither player was on the roster. They could either go after Leonard or KP. The Clippers didn’t want to move Leonard.
Good choice, lol.
It was the only option.
Enjoy…you guys should pay him, lols.
Just rumors. It’s a beautiful fairytale to have kp and Leonard as the 2nd and 3rd options for curry to lead the warriors. Sure, they will make moves but I doubt it will be a roster overhaul just yet
The Warriors only have two players signed after next season. That will be a roster overhaul.
Bron is a FA. He could sign for minimum just to play with Steph ……. Or midlevel.
Bron has too much of an ego to play for the minimum. This season should be his last. The guy is the biggest flopper and cry baby ever to play the game.
Lol at the idea of Kawhi taking a pay cut
Exactly. Better talk to Uncle Dennis before you make any moves with Claw.
Find a good tree company for him to work with and he’ll take the min…
Why would Kawhi want to join a significantly worse team that is further away from his family?
He is retiring in LAC….
sport writers rumors. Just because they asked about him before they traded awat Kumionga means nothing now.
With 7 gms to go. Clippers, Blazers, Warriors still battling for 8th, 9th, 10th seed. Home court could determine the 7th and 8th seed. Bulls have a big stake in this lols. Blazers get the 8th seed. Their pick goes to Bulls.
Clippers are the 8 seed unless Portland beats them twice and that’s highly unlikely as the Clippers have been playing well the second half. Bulls will get that pick in 2027.
Let the Bulls fans have some hope for a few wks lol.
Still a chance for them.
I want Clippers to get Pacers pick. Rooting for Pacers to draw 5th pick in lottery.
Bron is going to talk whth Cleveland for sure. Only place i think he goes for less
Who is going to give Lenoard the max. Nobody is see.
The Nets are only one with cap room.