Warriors’ Lendeborg Talks Summer League, Expectations, More
The Warriors selected former Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg with the 11th overall pick in June’s draft. The 23-year-old displayed his versatility during both the California Classic and Las Vegas Summer Leagues, averaging 13.8 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.3 steals in 25.8 minutes per game across six appearances.
Lendeborg told Ron Kroichick of The San Francisco Chronicle he’d grade his summer performance as a C-plus or B-minus, suggesting he struggled defensively at times and that he needs to get in better shape ahead of his rookie season.
“I feel like I could have been a lot better, a lot more aggressive,” Lendeborg said. “But it’s a new system and new team, I don’t want to be overbearing and overplay my part.”
As Kroichick writes, Lendeborg appears ready to play an immediate rotation role and could be competing with Gui Santos for a spot in the starting lineup while Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody recover from major leg injuries.
“I just want to be somebody who can provide an instant spark right away, and I feel like I’m capable of doing that, especially with the injuries,” Lendeborg said. “We have a lot of injuries at my position, so I feel like that really gives me the perfect opportunity to play right away, or just show the guys I’m going to help right away.
“I haven’t really spoken much to the Warriors about that — I don’t want to be demanding minutes and stuff. So hopefully they see I’m deserving of the chance, and I can make the most of it.”
Here’s more from Golden State’s lottery pick:
- Lendeborg also told Kroichick he felt apprehensive upon hearing Draymond Green say on his podcast that he wants to “rein in the rookie a little bit” following what Green referred to as Lendeborg’s “pointless” recruiting pitch to LeBron James, which occurred during a live stream interview (YouTube link). “I got a little nervous,” Lendeborg said, laughing. “I don’t know what he’s talking about, man. He could be hinting at a lot of different things. Hopefully it’s not the (rookie) hazing — I hope we keep that at a minimum. I hope it’s just like, ‘Yeah, I got you. This is what you should and shouldn’t do.’ So I’m a little worried, but hopefully everything goes well.”
- Speaking to Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints, Lendeborg discussed attending the rookie transition program and what he learned from the event, getting “all the nerves out” during Summer League, and navigating his rookie year, among other topics.
Heat Notes: Powell, Jaquez, Johnson, Goldin, Haslem
Norman Powell recently signed a two-year deal to join the Bulls, and while he’s excited about his future, he admitted his first choice probably would have been to stick with the Heat, with whom he made his first All-Star team at age 32.
“Did I want to return to Miami? Yeah, I did,” Powell said, according to Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. “But obviously, it’s a business. They made their decisions and made their moves and things happen. And it is what it is.”
Powell would have fit the new-look Heat’s needs well, but Miami’s cap situation prevented the team from re-signing him to the type of deal he had earned for himself based on his strong play last year. Now he’s looking forward to bringing his experience and scoring ability to Chicago.
“I know where I’m at in my career,” he said. “Obviously, the whole focal point is winning and wanting to get back to that championship stage. But just looking at the opportunity that was in front of me, that’s going to allow me to be able to play my game of basketball how I want to play it and be able to help pass on knowledge.”
Powell isn’t the only player who is disappointed to no longer be in Miami. Fourth-year wing Jaime Jaquez Jr. will play for the Bucks next season after being included in the trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo, leaving the team that drafted him 18th overall in 2023.
“It was definitely devastating for sure,” Jaquez said of the trade, per Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. “I love Miami. I love this city. It really felt like home to me.”
Jaquez said that his reaction in the viral video of him discovering the news while playing pickup basketball was genuine, but that he had known it was happening that day and had gone to the gym to occupy his mind. He added that he’s excited for the opportunity to really be able to shine on the new-look Bucks.
We have more from the Heat:
- While some players are mourning their departures from the Heat, others are still waiting to learn their fate, including Keshad Johnson. Despite not receiving a qualifying offer from the team, the 2026 dunk contest champion is hopeful that a reunion could be in the cards. “If the opportunity presents itself, I for sure want to be a Heat. For sure,” he said, adding, “I love the 305 forever.” He added that he’d be willing to consider a two-way deal to stay in Miami, though he also noted that he’s talked to several teams around the league this summer.
- Monday marked the deadline for the Heat to rescind their two-way qualifying offer for second-year center Vladislav Goldin, Chiang notes (via Twitter). Miami declined to do so, which means that offer remains on the table for the 7’0″ center and cannot be withdrawn. Goldin has averaged 8.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks through five Summer League games across Las Vegas and California this offseason.
- After being criticized by Draymond Green on a podcast for a perceived double standard in how he discussed Green’s 2022 altercation with teammate Jordan Poole and Bam Adebayo‘s recent confrontation with Tyler Herro, longtime Heat big man Udonis Haslem responded to Green’s comments on Sunday in a lengthy social media post, Chiang writes. “If you think your big 32 year old, 3 or 4 rings at the time having a– swinging on a 23 year old Jordan Poole at the time is the same then you are even more delusional that I thought,” Haslem wrote. “Anyone who knows Bam knows he’s strong as baby bear. If he would’ve unloaded on Tyler 100% it’s over. You fired off on that young boy like it was a club punch and you never met him before in your life.”
LeBron James Nearing Decision On Next Team?
Appearing on NBA Today on Monday (Twitter video link), ESPN’s Shams Charania said free agent forward LeBron James is inching closer to choosing his next team. Charania reiterated that the Cavaliers, Heat, Warriors, Sixers and Timberwolves have been LeBron’s “leading suitors.”
“It’s decision time for LeBron James, because all of the information, for the most part, is in,” Charania said. “GMs, presidents, owners, they’ve all been heard from and they’re continuing to have conversations with agent Rich Paul. … Players have also reached out to LeBron James to recruit him.”
Charania also said James’ choice won’t be “financially driven,” as previously reported.
“LeBron James has made it clear privately that he wants to go somewhere where he can compete for a championship,” Charania said. “Somewhere where he feels like he finds that happiness from a team environment and culture that he feels he can uplift.”
Chris Haynes of NBA on Prime (Twitter video link) essentially confirmed Charania’s report, though he added the Nuggets to the list of teams still in the mix for the league’s all-time leading scorer.
“I’ve talked to LeBron James’ agent Rich Paul and he said [LeBron] has all the information needed. So now it’s all up to LeBron James to make a decision,” Haynes reported.
Rival teams reportedly view Cleveland, the team that selected James first overall in 2003, as the frontrunner to sign the Akron native.
Here’s more on LeBron:
- ESPN’s Anthony Slater, who’s very plugged-in with the Warriors, said on SportsCenter that Golden State’s brass has been fairly pessimistic about its chances of signing James (Twitter video link). Still, he noted that Draymond Green and Stephen Curry have been attempting to lure the 22-time All-Star to the Bay Area. “Not many people in this process can reach LeBron James directly, but the Warriors players can,” said Slater.
- Slater added that the Warriors’ decision to hire Frank Vogel as their top assistant coach had little — if anything — to do with the four-time Finals MVP. James and Vogel won a championship together with the Lakers in 2020. “They wanted somebody next to Steve Kerr on the bench who has head coaching experience — obviously Vogel has that,” Slater said. “And also they needed somebody to lead the defense. Vogel, historically, has been a great defensive coach. … And maybe that helps a little bit in the LeBron pitch, but generally they just want Frank Vogel next to Steve Kerr.”
- According to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, Green’s pitch to LeBron may have given the Warriors a better shot at landing the 41-year-old, but executives at Summer League still widely consider the Cavs to be in the pole position. League personnel are skeptical that James will sign with the Wolves or Nuggets, Siegel adds.
Warriors Notes: Green, Lendeborg, Veteran Roster, May
Draymond Green turned down his $27.7MM player option for next season to give the Warriors more “optionality” on the free agent market, relays Kevin Topley of NBC Sports Bay Area. Green addressed his situation Tuesday in the latest edition of his podcast, explaining that there was more involved than financial considerations.
“For me personally, I’m always willing to work with the team on whatever is best, especially at this point in my career,” Green said. “As you all know, I’ve always taken the approach of working with the organization. I’ve been in one place for 14 years — it’s more like a family to me than anything.”
Green compared Golden State to his relationship with Michigan State, saying it feels like an “alma mater” to him and that he’s always “intrigued” by whatever he can do to help the team improve. Green’s decision makes it easier for the Warriors to pursue LeBron James with the $15MM non-taxpayer mid-level exception, but he didn’t offer any inside information during the podcast on how he expects that to work out.
“Free agency always brings different twists and turns,” Green added. “We’ll look around and figure out what’s best.”
There’s more on the Warriors:
- Age concerns played a large role in the pre-draft assessment of Yaxel Lendeborg, but he doesn’t view that as a big deal, per Nick Avila of NBC Sports Bay Area. The Warriors’ pick at No. 11 will turn 24 in September, which is much older than a typical lottery selection. “In a way, it’s giving me extra motivation,” Lendeborg said. “You guys are acting like I’m really 45 years old. I’m 23 years old. Most players get into their prime around this age and get better still. This is going to be my first year in the NBA, this is going to be my first year having an actual offseason, summer training, all that stuff.”
- Coach Steve Kerr expressed concerns in May about having an aging roster with players who need to be rested on back-to-backs, but it looks like the Warriors will be in that position for at least another season, observes Nick Friedell of The Athletic. Since then, the team has reached new deals with Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford and De’Anthony Melton and ramped up its pursuit of the 41-year-old James. Friedell’s suggestion for Kerr is to view his roster as two teams — one filled with young guys who can play regularly and the other made up of veterans whose minutes have to be managed.
- The Warriors might have pursued new Mavericks coach Dusty May if Kerr hadn’t re-signed, Brian Windhorst stated on The Hoop Collective podcast (YouTube link, hat tip to Austin Veazey of SI). Windhorst indicates that May was on the “short list” of several NBA teams.
Checking In On Top Remaining NBA Free Agents
The NBA’s free agent period officially opened less than 40 hours ago, but the list of this year’s top available players has already been pretty picked clean, with 38 of the players from our list of 2026’s top 50 free agents having either officially locked in a new deal or agreed to terms with a team.
Still, several of the free agents who still don’t have a contract agreement in place are ones who ranked at or near the top of our board. Here are the players from our list who remain available:
- Jalen Duren, C (Pistons RFA)
- LeBron James, F
- James Harden, G
- Peyton Watson, F (Nuggets RFA)
- Tari Eason, F (Rockets RFA)
- Draymond Green, F
- Rui Hachimura, F
- Jonathan Kuminga, F
- Anfernee Simons, G
- Bennedict Mathurin, G (Clippers RFA)
- Spencer Jones, F (Nuggets RFA)
- Brandon Williams, G
As we noted within our story on the Lakers’ sign-and-trade agreement for Walker Kessler, that deal is bad news for Duren, who can no longer use the threat of an offer sheet from Los Angeles as leverage in his negotiations with the Pistons. In fact, with Brooklyn and Chicago having also made multiple moves using their cap room, no team is currently in position to put pressure on Detroit with a maximum-salary or near-max offer sheet for Duren.
The Kings and Duren still reportedly have mutual interest, with Sacramento looking to make a sign-and-trade deal involving Domantas Sabonis, but the Pistons are said to have little enthusiasm for that concept — or for a sign-and-trade in general. They’ve indicated that they want to keep the All-NBA big man, and at this point, they appear to have the leverage to wait out the process and hope Duren decides to eventually accept their offer.
While the 22-year-old Duren is the best bet of the remaining free agents to get a lucrative, long-term deal, the 41-year-old James is perhaps the most intriguing name on this list. LeBron is a true free agent, having told the Lakers he won’t re-sign with them and inviting any team with interest to reach out.
The Warriors, Cavaliers, and Heat have long been viewed as the most logical non-Los Angeles landing spots for the 22-time All-Star, but teams like the Timberwolves, Nuggets, and Sixers have also registered their interest, and the word is that James will be prioritizing his “happiness” and an ability to contend for a championship over money.
In contrast to James, whose destination seems truly up in the air, Harden and Green are considered very likely to re-sign with the Cavaliers and Warriors, respectively. In fact, their eventual contract structures may hinge in large part on LeBron’s decision. If James chooses Cleveland or Golden State, Harden or Green may be prepared to negotiate their own contracts accordingly to help create enough room under a hard cap or an apron threshold.
Since Watson, Eason, Mathurin, and Jones are all restricted free agents, it’s possible the process will drag out for some of them. All indications are that the Nuggets want to re-sign Watson and have explored trading one of their higher-paid players to help create the spending flexibility to do it. The Rockets likewise have prioritized bringing back Eason and should have enough room under their second-apron hard cap to match any rival offer. We haven’t heard as much about Mathurin or Jones to this point, though the latter did briefly address his contract negotiations in a LinkedIn post.
A pair of potential frontrunners for Hachimura came off the board when San Antonio reached a deal with Tobias Harris to fill its hole at power forward and Detroit decided to add John Collins as its stretch four. The Nets are another team that has been cited as having interest in Hachimura, though it’s unclear how their agreement with Moritz Wagner, another floor-spacing frontcourt player, will impact their plans.
While there hasn’t been a ton of chatter about Simons or Williams since free agency officially began on Tuesday, Kuminga was the subject of an intriguing rumor late on Wednesday night, when a report from The Athletic indicated that he’s on the Lakers‘ radar. In order to offer the young forward more than the veteran’s minimum, Los Angeles would have to work out a sign-and-trade with Atlanta, his former team.
Khris Middleton, Russell Westbrook, Bruce Brown, Josh Okogie, Matisse Thybulle, Gary Trent Jr., Ziaire Williams, Kevon Looney, and Bradley Beal are among the other notable veteran free agents still on the board.
All of the free agent deals agreed upon so far can be found within our 2026 free agent tracker. The full list of free agents still available can be found right here (or here, if you prefer to sort by team rather than by position/type).
Warriors Rumors: LeBron, Davis, Butler, Draymond
While little is known about LeBron James‘ plans for free agency, the Warriors are “far and away” the Lakers superstar’s “most interested external suitor,” according to Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).
There has been some reporting indicating that Golden State may try to trade for Wizards big man Anthony Davis to further enhance their chances of signing James using the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, but the team hasn’t been acting as though the former championship teammates are some sort of package deal, sources tell The Stein Line.
According to Stein and Fischer, the Warriors continue to signal behind the scenes that they’re reluctant to trade Jimmy Butler, who would have to be sent out to acquire Davis for salary-matching purposes. General manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. and head coach Steve Kerr both have strong relationships with Butler, the authors observe.
“I don’t want to get into a constant cycle of responding to this stuff,” Butler’s agent Bernie Lee told ESPN on Monday. “But I will say the Warriors — from ownership to the front office to the coaches and medical staff — have been resolute in their plan to support Jimmy through his rehab. … That remains true today as I respond to you.”
Draymond Green declining his $27.7MM player option added fuel to the Davis chatter. The former Defensive Player of the Year won’t be going anywhere: Stein and Fischer report that Green is expected to re-sign with the Warriors on a new multiyear contract once the team figures out its other roster moves.
More On Warriors’ Interest In Anthony Davis, LeBron James
Word of the Warriors‘ apparent interest in Wizards big man Anthony Davis first surfaced on Sunday night and was advanced on Monday when Draymond Green declined his $27.7MM player option for 2026/27, signaling that the team is looking into finding a way to acquire both Davis and star forward LeBron James.
According to Anthony Slater of ESPN, Warriors team sources have said for weeks that they expect James to remain in Los Angeles, but with LeBron having not yet engaged seriously in contract discussions with the Lakers, Golden State believes that door may have opened a crack.
Whether or not their pursuit of Davis goes anywhere, the Warriors have the flexibility to offer James the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception, which is expected to start at just above $15MM. However, according to Slater’s sources, the Warriors believe the prospect of acquiring Davis, James’ former Lakers teammate and good friend, would significantly strengthen their pitch to the four-time MVP.
As RealGM relays, ESPN’s Shams Charania suggested during an appearance on SportsCenter that Davis and James might have to be a “package deal” to end up in Golden State — in other words, the Warriors may be unlikely to acquire one if they can’t get the other.
There’s also said to be some league-wide skepticism about whether the Warriors actually have a serious chance to land Davis and James to team up with Green and Stephen Curry or whether Klutch Sports’ Rich Paul – who represents all three players – is just looking to get all of them paid by their current teams.
“The people in the league that I’m talking to today are giving me the side-eye, and they’re going, ‘This is going to end up with Draymond Green getting a new contract in Golden State, LeBron getting a new contract in Los Angeles, and Anthony Davis getting a new contract in Washington,'” ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on The Rich Eisen Show (Twitter video link). “… So, I’m not saying I know, but part of this could be creating leverage for AD and LeBron in both Washington and L.A. And then everybody gets paid on a contract. Or they could all end up in Golden State. I’m not sure which it’s going to be.”
Here’s more on AD and LeBron:
- With the Warriors emerging as a real threat for James, the Lakers are expected to engage with the 41-year-old forward in conversations about his future sooner rather than later, says NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter link).
- According to RealGM, Windhorst said during Monday’s episode of Get Up on ESPN that Paul met with the Wizards on Sunday to discuss Davis’ future. “I’m sure that Anthony Davis could be given a contract that would make him very happy to be in Washington,” Windhorst said, pointing out the Wizards have already committed to Trae Young on a four-year, $212MM contract. “Maybe the Wizards are prepared to do that. The Wizards want to win immediately.”
- John Hollinger of The Athletic examines the cap machinations that would be necessary for the Warriors to acquire Davis and James, suggesting that there may not be a path for Kristaps Porzingis to re-sign with Golden State if the team were to pull off landing the former Lakers stars.
- If Davis were traded to Golden State, Jimmy Butler would have to be the outgoing piece for salary-matching purposes. Asked about that possibility, Butler’s agent Bernie Lee told Slater (Twitter link) that the Warriors have maintained they’re not looking to trade his client. “I don’t want to get into a constant cycle of responding to this stuff,” Lee said. “But I will say the Warriors — from ownership to the front office to the coaches and medical staff — have been resolute in their plan to support Jimmy through his rehab. … That remains true today as I respond to you.”
Draymond Green Declining $27.7MM Player Option
Warriors forward Draymond Green will turn down his $27.7MM player option for next season, sources tell ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link), who states that the decision will give Golden State added flexibility to pursue Lakers forward LeBron James in free agency and Wizards big man Anthony Davis on the trade market.
Green, James, and Davis are all represented by Rich Paul and Klutch Sports.
The Warriors were about $20MM below the first apron before Green’s decision, notes Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link). He adds that taking Green’s salary off the books, at least temporarily, should give the team access to the full $15MM non-taxpayer mid-level exception.
The Warriors plan to use the MLE to target James and are confident about their chances of landing both veteran stars, according to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints (Twitter link). Green appears to be “very open” to re-signing at a discount to make that happen, Siegel adds.
For the moment, Golden State is about $43.7MM below the luxury tax and $51.7MM away from the first apron, per Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link), whose figures include a reported new deal for Al Horford and the salary of first-round pick Yaxel Lendeborg. Smith states that the Warriors will have the flexibility to add salaries via trade and projects the first apron to be the team’s eventual hard cap.
Green, 36, has spent his entire career with Golden State since being selected with the 35th pick in the 2012 draft. He’s a former Defensive Player of the Year and a nine-time member of the All-Defensive Team. He played a huge role in the Warriors’ four championships and continues to be productive in the late stage of his career. In 68 games this season, he averaged 8.4 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists in 27.5 minutes per night.
Green has expressed a desire to finish his career with Golden State alongside Stephen Curry and head coach Steve Kerr. It appears there’s a chance he’ll get to do that with a revived Warriors team that features some of the biggest names in recent NBA history.
Warriors GM Dunleavy Hoping To Retain Green, Porzingis
Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. is hopeful of retaining both Draymond Green and Kristaps Porzingis, according to Nick Friedell of The Athletic.
Green holds a $27.7MM option on his contract for next season, while Porzingis will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the month.
“I’ve had conversations with kind of all of our free agents,” Dunleavy said. “Their representatives. I think we’re in a good place with all of them … as far as Draymond and KP, Draymond has the player option, but we’re in communication with his group. Then same thing with KP. Both guys, I think, we value, we want here, and we see them as a kind of (a) piece of the puzzle next season.”
Green, who has stated he wants to return, could help out the front office by declining his option and signing a new contract at a lower starting salary. That would give the Warriors more breathing room to stay out of the luxury tax and avoid the aprons.
Golden State is also awaiting decisions on two other player options that would impact its bottom line — Al Horford ($5.97MM) and De’Anthony Melton ($3.45MM). Reporting this morning indicated that Melton is likely to decline his option.
Here’s more from Dunleavy’s press conference:
- Steve Kerr decided shortly after the season to remain as head coach. However, his staff is still in flux — Terry Stotts and Jerry Stackhouse left the organization in hopes of landing head coaching jobs. Dunleavy says the front office is still mulling its options. “We’re still working through that,” Dunleavy said. “Obviously, getting the main thing done with Steve was huge. With Terry and Jerry leaving, there obviously will be some changes, so we’re working through that. But nothing imminent. Once there is, we’ll let you guys know.”
- The GM seems intent on keeping the 11th overall pick in the draft, rather than using it in a trade. “(The) job right now is to make this team better. So if it means doing older, then we’ll do it, but that’s pretty unlikely,” Dunleavy said. “There’s only so many guys I feel like we could bring in that are older. We’ve got some guys on the back end of it already, and to add to that, there would definitely be some risk. Maybe there’s a situation we do that and go for it — we obviously would prefer to get younger.”
- While the Thunder and Spurs appear set up for long-term success in the Western Conference, Dunleavy won’t make moves specifically with those teams in mind. “We’ve had, what, eight different champions in eight years. Is that right? I’d say the big-picture thing is it’s as wide open as it’s ever been,” he said. “We can’t make any assumptions that this team is going to do it for the next 10 years. They’re going to be here. You know, injuries, salary cap issues, all those things. I think we’ve got to be careful of that. More than anything, it teaches you just to focus in on yourself and what you can do to be better. Don’t worry about we have to beat this team or we’ve got to be better than this at this position. I think it just reinforces we need to be better and let’s focus on ourselves.”
- The Warriors also have a late second-round pick at No. 54. Dunleavy will go with the best available player at that spot, according to Kevin Topley of NBC Sports Bay Area. “I think the approach on the second round for us has been not to overthink it, you’re looking for a guy that can just make it,” he said. “You don’t worry about position, you don’t worry about size, you don’t worry about age, you’re picking, for example, late 50s, it’s hard to make it to the NBA that far back in the draft.”
Warriors Rumors: Kawhi, Murphy, No. 11, Green, Porzingis, More
Even though Stephen Curry and Draymond Green are in their late-30s, the Warriors aren’t necessarily eager to make win-now moves that “mortgage the future for the present,” according to ESPN’s Anthony Slater, who points out that Golden State hasn’t been very involved in the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes this spring after pursuing the Bucks star at the trade deadline.
Still, that doesn’t mean that the Warriors aren’t remaining on the lookout for impact players who could be attainable on the trade market. The team would have interest in forward Kawhi Leonard, for instance, depending on the price tag, Slater writes, though Clippers owner Steve Ballmer has remained steadfastly against the idea of trading the two-time Finals MVP.
Pelicans wing Trey Murphy III is another player who has long been on Golden State’s radar, and he might be more attainable this offseason than in past transaction cycles, sources tell ESPN. Unlike Giannis and Kawhi, who are in their 30s, Murphy is entering his age-26 season, so acquiring him would help the Warriors accomplish their goal of getting younger.
New Orleans has set a high asking price for Murphy in past discussions, but there have been rumblings about the Pelicans looking to trade into this year’s lottery, and Golden State controls the No. 11 overall pick, Slater observes.
Here’s more from Slater on the Warriors:
- Assuming Golden State hangs onto the No. 11 pick, Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg, Arizona guard Brayden Burries, Michigan center Aday Mara, Louisville guard Mikel Brown, and Houston guard Kingston Flemings are among the names to watch, according to Slater, though a few of those players figure to be off the board by the time the Warriors are on the clock. One team source told ESPN that Lendeborg’s fit is “so obvious” and that his age (24 in September) won’t disqualify him, while Slater adds that Mara, Brown, and Flemings all have “fans” within the organization.
- As for Burries, he has declined workouts with some teams drafting in the top 10, including the Kings (No. 7). But the Mavericks (No. 9) are viewed as one of his preferred landing spots and he’s also scheduled to work out for Golden State on Thursday, Slater reports. Team sources tell ESPN that Burries will be one of several notable prospects visiting the Bay Area on Thursday, along with Alabama guard Labaron Philon and Washington big man Hannes Steinbach.
- If having Green decline his $27.6MM player option and signing a new multiyear contract that lowers his 2026/27 cap hit gives the Warriors a direct path to a roster upgrade elsewhere, that remains the team’s preferred route, says Slater, but the current expectation is that Green will simply pick up his option. That wouldn’t bother the Warriors, who like the idea of keeping their books relatively clean beyond next season, Slater continues. That scenario would put Green on an expiring contract, making him a potential trade candidate, but team sources tell ESPN there’s still mutual interest in having him finish his career in Golden State.
- There’s “growing momentum” toward the Warriors bringing back Kristaps Porzingis on a short-term deal that reduces his salary after he earned more than $30MM in 2025/26, Slater writes. Slater adds that Al Horford‘s decision on a $5.9MM player option remains unclear, but De’Anthony Melton is considered likely to turn down his $3.4MM option to test the free agent market. That wouldn’t rule out the possibility of Melton re-signing with Golden State, Slater clarifies.
- Extension discussions for players who are under contract for 2026/27 figure to happen later in the summer. That might include a rookie scale extension for guard Brandin Podziemski, with Slater reporting that there’s “optimism” about the two sides reaching a deal closer to the October deadline.
- In case you missed it, Slater also stated that the Warriors view LeBron James as likely to re-sign with the Lakers.