The Golden State Warriors entered free agency determined to keep one of their biggest trade-deadline acquisitions.
Mission accomplished.
Free agent center Kristaps Porzingis has agreed to a two-year, $40 million contract to remain with the Warriors through the 2027-28 season, ESPN insider Shams Charania reported Monday.
According to Charania, the agreement includes a player option in the second season. Porzingis’ agent, Jeff Schwartz of Excel Sports Management, negotiated the deal with Golden State.
The agreement arrives less than 24 hours after NBA insiders Marc Stein and Jake Fischer reported that a new contract between the Warriors and Porzingis was expected before free agency officially opened.
For Golden State, the move secures one of the NBA’s premier stretch centers while maintaining the roster flexibility needed to continue pursuing additional upgrades around Stephen Curry.
Warriors Complete Major Offseason Priority
General manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. made little secret throughout the offseason that retaining Porzingis ranked near the top of the organization’s to-do list.
Earlier this month, Dunleavy acknowledged ongoing conversations with all of Golden State’s free agents while specifically emphasizing the Warriors’ desire to keep Porzingis.
“I’ve had conversations with kind of all of our free agents, their representatives,” Dunleavy said. “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.”
Monday’s agreement turns those intentions into reality.
The Warriors held Porzingis’ Bird rights, allowing them to exceed the salary cap to re-sign him without sacrificing other roster-building tools.
Extension Balances Risk and Flexibility
Getty Kristaps Porzingis of the Golden State Warriors and Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors react on the sideline during the second quarter of the game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on March 15, 2026 in New York City.
The structure of the contract may be just as important as the dollar amount.
Rather than committing to the three-year extension worth as much as $116.2 million that Porzingis was eligible to sign, both sides agreed to a shorter contract that limits long-term risk while giving the veteran center another opportunity to re-enter free agency if he outperforms the deal.
That approach reflects the reality of Porzingis’ market.
When healthy, the 30-year-old remains one of basketball’s most unique frontcourt players.
Durability, however, has continued to shape his value after injuries and his management of Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) limited his availability in recent seasons.
The two-year framework protects both parties.
Porzingis Quickly Became Warriors’ Frontcourt Anchor
Golden State acquired Porzingis at the February trade deadline after missing out on Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The move immediately transformed the Warriors’ frontcourt.
In 15 regular-season appearances with Golden State, Porzingis averaged 16.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.1 blocks while stretching opposing defenses with his outside shooting and protecting the rim on the other end.
He scored in double figures in 13 of those 15 games, including a 20-point performance in the Play-In Tournament against the Los Angeles Clippers.
Porzingis later made clear he hoped to remain in the Bay Area.
“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.”
Warriors Can Still Dream Bigger
Retaining Porzingis does not signal the end of Golden State’s aggressive offseason.
League insiders have continued to link the Warriors to blockbuster pursuits involving Anthony Davis and LeBron James as the franchise searches for another championship run with Curry.
Instead, the Porzingis agreement gives the Warriors certainty at center while preserving optionality elsewhere on the roster.
Whether another superstar ultimately arrives remains one of the NBA’s biggest offseason questions.
Regardless, Golden State has already accomplished one objective that mattered most—keeping one of the league’s premier two-way centers in a Warriors uniform as the franchise continues chasing another title.
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