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.
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.
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.
Where did they say that?
Bron is a FA. He could sign for minimum just to play with Steph ……. Or midlevel.
Lol at the idea of Kawhi taking a pay cut
Why would Kawhi want to join a significantly worse team that is further away from his family?
He is retiring in LAC….