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SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 25: Kristaps Porzingis #7 of the Golden State Warriors pauses during a break in play against the Brooklyn Nets during the second half at Chase Center on March 25, 2026 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kelley L Cox/Getty Images) Getty
The Golden State Warriors may be on the verge of securing one of their biggest offseason priorities.
After weeks of reports indicating progress toward a new contract, NBA insiders Marc Stein and Jake Fischer now believe a deal between the Warriors and veteran center Kristaps Porzingis could be finalized at any moment before free agency officially opens.
For a Golden State team determined to rebound after a disappointing exit in the Western Conference Play-In Tournament, retaining Porzingis would preserve one of the few frontcourt bright spots from the second half of last season.
Warriors, Porzingis Expected to Reach Agreement
Stein and Fischer listed Golden State’s negotiations with Porzingis among the NBA’s most anticipated remaining pieces of offseason business.
“Among the most anticipated deals we still expect before Tuesday’s 6 PM ET bell sounds to formally ring in free agency: New contracts for Golden State’s Kristaps Porziņģis and Cleveland’s James Harden,” Stein and Fischer wrote in The Stein Line on Sunday.
“Verbal agreements on new deals with the Warriors and Cavaliers, respectively, could come to fruition any minute.”
The update builds on Stein’s previous reporting that Golden State and Porzingis had been making tangible progress toward an extension before the negotiating window closes.
The Warriors hold Porzingis’ Bird rights, allowing them to exceed the salary cap to re-sign him without using an exception.
According to ESPN front office insider Bobby Marks, Porzingis is eligible to sign an extension worth as much as three years and $116.2 million, though league observers expect any agreement to come in well below that figure.
Porzingis Quickly Fit Warriors’ Frontcourt
Golden State acquired Porzingis at the February trade deadline after its pursuit of Giannis Antetokounmpo failed to materialize.
The move cost the Warriors Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield, but it immediately addressed one of the roster’s biggest weaknesses: size.
Porzingis averaged 16.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.1 blocks in 15 regular-season games with Golden State while shooting efficiently and providing the floor spacing that has long made him one of the NBA’s most unique big men.
He scored in double figures in 13 of his 15 appearances and produced one of his signature performances in the Play-In Tournament against the Los Angeles Clippers, finishing with 20 points, five rebounds and five assists while helping force overtime.
Even after Golden State’s season ended in a play-in loss to the Phoenix Suns, Porzingis spoke enthusiastically about his short time with the organization.
“I do love my time here, honestly,” Porzingis told the California Post in April. “Not one bad thing I can say about the organization, the team, the teammates. I really love it here.”
Health Will Shape Contract Terms
As productive as Porzingis remains, durability continues to define his market.
The 30-year-old battled injuries again last season while continuing to manage Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, making long-term guarantees more difficult to project.
Because of that uncertainty, many around the league expect the Warriors to pursue a shorter-term agreement rather than a maximum extension.
The Athletic’s John Hollinger previously projected a contract in the range of one or two years worth approximately $25 million to $30 million annually, a structure that would allow Golden State to retain a starting-caliber center while limiting long-term financial risk.
Warriors Prioritize Continuity Around Veteran Core
General manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. has made little secret of the organization’s desire to bring Porzingis back.
“I’ve had conversations with kind of all of our free agents, their representatives,” Dunleavy said earlier this month. “I think we’re in a good place with all of them.
“Then same thing with KP. Both guys, I think, we value, we want here, and we see them as kind of a piece of the puzzle next season.”
The Warriors have spent much of the offseason balancing immediate contention with long-term flexibility around Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green.
Re-signing Porzingis would accomplish both objectives.
It would preserve continuity in the frontcourt without forcing Golden State to replace one of the NBA’s most skilled stretch centers on the open market.
If Stein and Fischer’s latest reporting proves accurate, the Warriors may not have to wait much longer before checking one of their biggest offseason priorities off the list.
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