Despite surging reports over their interest in LeBron James and potentially Anthony Davis, the Golden State Warriors have gone ahead with signing Kristaps Porzingis to a two-year, $40 million contract extension before free agency.
The new deal includes a player option in the second season according to ESPN's Shams Charania, giving Porzingis some flexibility after joining the Warriors in a mid-season trade that sent Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield to the Atlanta Hawks.
Warriors sign Kristaps Porzingis despite surging LeBron-AD rumors
There had been an expectation over the past week that the Warriors and Porzingis would agree to a contract extension before the veteran center hit free agency, but that was thrown into some jeopardy over the past 18 hours after major reports of the franchise's interest in a blockbuster two-star move for James and Davis.
It's unclear what impact, if any, Porzingis' deal will have on Golden State's pursuit of James and/or Davis after veteran forward Draymond Green opted out of his $27.6 million contract before Monday's deadline.
ESPN front office insider Bobby Marks suggests it's now unlikely the Warriors can get access to the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception, but that also depends on what Green's willing to take on his new deal.
It's worth noting that Porzingis' extension is over $10 million less than the $30.8 million he made on the final year of his deal last season, having appeared in just 32 combined games with the Warriors and Atlanta Hawks.
The Porzingis extension with Golden State, likely restricts Golden State from having the $15m non tax midlevel exception.
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) June 29, 2026
$27M below the first apron and does not include a new contract for Draymond Green.
You can exceed the apron to sign your own players.
Using more than… https://t.co/p8w0dWUZhD
The investment in Porzingis is also another investment in Rick Celebrini and the medical staff, particularly with some uncertainty still revolving around his health and the POTS diagnosis he was initially given while with the Boston Celtics.
Kristaps Porzingis has upside despite obvious risks for Warriors
Porzingis is still a positive contributor when on the floor, so much so that he could easily outplay this contract after averaging 16.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.1 blocks in less than 24 minutes per game with Golden State after the trade.
That provides significant upside for the Warriors, yet the health/injury risks still exist and could force the franchise to pay the Latvian $20 million again in 2027-28 if they can't generate more availability from him next season.
Porzingis hasn't played more than 65 games in a season since his second year in the league with the New York Knicks a decade ago, but the Warriors will be hoping that changes as they seek a return to the playoffs.
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