Golden State Warriors General Manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. faced the media ahead of the 2026 NBA Draft and admitted the front office has significant work to do. The franchise is staring down an ongoing roster crunch, with only four players currently slated to enter training camp fully healthy.
Dunleavy made it clear that “everything is on the table” for this transaction season. The central tension revolves around the impending free agency of both Draymond Green and Kristaps Porzingis as the team navigates strict NBA salary cap rules.
Green holds a critical June 29 deadline to decide on his $27.7 million player option. While some team sources expect him to opt in as an expiring contract, analysts project a different route. Green could decline the option to negotiate a multi-year extension at a lower annual rate of under $20 million to help the franchise avoid luxury tax penalties.
If Green accepts a new deal worth less than $20 million annually to stay with Golden State, it will be the first time his salary has dropped below that threshold since the 2019–20 NBA season.
Then there is Kristaps Porzingis. The center is now a pending unrestricted free agent after a frustrating stint in the Bay Area. Golden State acquired him during the February 2026 trade deadline in a blockbuster deal that sent Jonathan Kuminga, Buddy Hield, and Trayce Jackson-Davis to the Atlanta Hawks. Porzingis only managed to play 15 games for the Warriors due to injury, leaving the front office to decide if re-signing him is worth the risk.
The math dictates the next move. If the Warriors let Porzingis walk and Green restructures his contract, they can unlock the $15 million non-taxpayer mid-level exception. This exact financial flexibility is required if Golden State hopes to pursue veteran targets like LeBron James, John Collins, or Rui Hachimura in free agency.