Warriors Face Tight Salary Cap Ahead of 2026 Offseason

Golden State's expensive roster leaves little room to maneuver in free agency

Apr. 18, 2026 at 11:06pm by

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting fragmented basketball players and court elements in a palette of golden yellow, royal blue, and crimson red, conveying the complex financial challenges facing the Warriors' roster construction.The Warriors' salary cap constraints force them to deconstruct their roster and strategize carefully to remain contenders.San Francisco Today

The Golden State Warriors have an expensive roster with many needs heading into the 2026 offseason. With just six players guaranteed for next season at $144.4 million, the Warriors will be operating as an over-the-cap team, leaving them limited in their ability to sign free agents and fill out their roster.

Why it matters

The Warriors' salary cap situation will significantly impact their ability to retain key free agents like Draymond Green and De'Anthony Melton, as well as their options for adding new talent to the roster around Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler. Their decisions on player options and contract values for Green and Kristaps Porzingis will be crucial in determining how much flexibility they have.

The details

The Warriors have just six players guaranteed for next season: Curry ($62.6M), Butler ($56.8M), Moses Moody ($12.5M), Brandin Podziemski ($5.7M), Gui Santos ($4.6M), and Will Richard ($2.2M). They have three players with player options: Draymond Green ($27.7M), Al Horford ($6M), and De'Anthony Melton ($3.5M). Green has said he plans to decline his option, while Melton will likely decline his to seek a bigger payday. The Warriors have seven free agents, including Porzingis, who they have Bird rights to re-sign. The key salary cap numbers to watch are the luxury tax ($201M), the first apron ($209M), and the second apron ($222M). If the Warriors exceed the first apron, they would be hard-capped and limited to the taxpayer mid-level exception of around $6M.

  • The salary cap for the 2026-27 season is $165 million.

The players

Stephen Curry

The Warriors' star point guard with a $62.6 million salary for next season.

Jimmy Butler

The Warriors' star small forward with a $56.8 million salary for next season.

Draymond Green

The Warriors' veteran power forward who has a $27.7 million player option for next season that he plans to decline.

Kristaps Porzingis

A Warriors free agent that the team has Bird rights to re-sign.

De'Anthony Melton

A Warriors free agent who will likely decline his $3.5 million player option to seek a bigger contract, which the Warriors may struggle to afford.

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What’s next

The Warriors' decisions on Draymond Green's next contract and Kristaps Porzingis' 2026-27 salary will be crucial in determining how much flexibility they have to re-sign De'Anthony Melton and fill out the rest of their roster.

The takeaway

The Warriors' expensive roster and limited salary cap space will force them to make difficult decisions this offseason, potentially sacrificing depth and veteran experience to retain their core stars like Curry, Butler, and potentially Green. Their ability to navigate the salary cap will be a major storyline to watch as they aim to remain contenders.