Kristaps Porzingis Could Solve Problem in Warriors' LeBron James Plan

The Golden State Warriors' best-case scenario this offseason is to use the non-taxpayer mid-level exception—preferably on LeBron James—and re-sign free-agent-to-be Kristaps Porzingis.

The problem is using the NTMLE (worth $15 million) hard-caps the Warriors at the first apron, which means they can't exceed $209 million in salary commitments.

This is where things get tricky.

We don't know how much Porzingis wants, but even more importantly, we don't know how much the Warriors need him to give up to fit his new salary under the first apron.

If, for example, Draymond Green ($27.7 million), Al Horford ($6 million) and De'Anthony Melton ($3.5 million) exercise their player options and the Warriors use the 11th pick ($6.1 million) in the draft, their salary commitments would be at about $188 million (not including incomplete roster charges) before using the NTMLE or re-signing Porzingis.

It's been assumed that Draymond Green will decline his player option to sign a multiyear deal with a lower 2026-27 salary. That would be crucial in allowing the Warriors to re-sign Porzingis and go after free agents with the NTMLE.

But the other underrated crucial aspect is Porzingis agreeing to a massive pay cut.

Analyst Makes Surprising Porzingis Comment

Bleacher Report's Eric Pincus made a bold prediction that the Warriors would land James with the NTMLE this offseason. As you can see above, using the NTMLE would leave the Warriors in a precarious spot with Porzingis.

But Pincus thinks Porzingis would sign for as little as $7.5 million to ensure the Warriors stay under the $209 million first apron.

Keep in mind Porzingis made $30.7 million last season.

Porzingis' market value has one of the biggest ranges of this offseason. It wouldn't be surprising if he wants $25 million per season, but it also wouldn't be shocking if he goes as low as $10 million after missing 90 regular-season games over the last two seasons.

I will say $7.5 million would be surprisingly low.

How a Massive Porzingis Pay Cut Impacts Dubs' LeBron Pursuit

Here is a projection of what the Warriors' cap sheet could look like with James taking the non-taxpayer mid-level exception of $15 million:

Stephen Curry: $62.6 million
Jimmy Butler: $56.8 million
Draymond Green: $21 million
LeBron James: $15 million
Moses Moody: $12.5 million
Kristaps Porzingis: $7.5 million
2026 No. 11 pick: $6.1 million
Al Horford: $6 million
Brandin Podziemski: $5.7 million
Gui Santos: $4.6 million
De'Athony Melton: $3.5 million
Gary Payton II: $2.5 million
Quinten Post: $2.5 million
Will Richard: $2.2 million

Now, there are a few ways the Warriors could have more money to offer Porzingis and stay under the $209 million first apron.

This projection assumes Green will sign a two-year deal with a starting salary of $21 million. But if Green were to cut his 2026-27 pay to $18 million, Porzingis could get $3 million more.

Then there's the possibility that Melton turns down his player option and signs with a different team. In this scenario, the Warriors would likely sign the 54th pick of the 2026 draft to a contract with a starting salary of about $1.4 million, which would allow them to offer Porzingis about $2 million more.

So if just those two things happen, the Warriors could get James for the full NTMLE and re-sign Porzingis for $12.5 million.

Porzingis Holds the Cards

If the Warriors sign James this offseason, they'd have some shooting concerns.

James shot just 31.7 percent from three last season, and he'd be joining Draymond Green (32.6 percent from three) and Jimmy Butler (career 33.0 percent from three) when Butler returns from his knee injury.

Porzingis would be an ideal solution. His career three-point percentage is solid at 36.4, but perhaps more importantly, his three-point shot is respected by defenses, which would open up more driving lanes for Butler, James and Stephen Curry.

With all due respect to stretch-5s Al Horford and Quinten Post, the Dubs would need Porzingis' offensive talent from the center position to compete with the Western Conference's best teams.

So we know the Warriors would love for Porzingis to wait until they get James and then re-sign for whatever is left under the $209 million first apron. But we have no idea if Porzingis has interest in any of that.

He might have a set number in mind, and he might want to get the contract done early in free agency, in which case the Warriors would have to work around whatever he wants instead of Porzingis working around what the Warriors want.

Getting James but losing Porzingis would leave a major talent void at center that the Warriors would likely not be able to fill with a veteran minimum free agent.

Getting James and keeping Porzingis could come down to how long Porzingis is willing to wait to sign his deal and how much he's willing to leave on the table.

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