What Does Gui Santos Extension Mean For The Warriors?
Golden State is at least a play-in team in the Western Conference. The Warriors sit in eighth place in the conference with a 31-29 record. The Warriors are eight games ahead of 11th-place Memphis. However, the Dubs have a little work to do to move into the top six, as they are 4.5.
Santos will earn around $4.6 million in 2026-27, with slight increases over the subsequent two seasons. His player option for the 2028-29 season is about $5.3 million.
With the extension, the Warriors have 10 players under contract for the 2026-27 season, with a salary cap hit of $181.8 million. That leaves the Warriors over the cap, but about $20.1 million under the tax line. They are also $28.3 million below the first apron.
Warriors Free Agents
The Warriors do have some potential flexibility or maneuverability. Draymond Green ($27.6 million), Al Horford ($5.9 million), and De’Anthony Melton ($3.4 million) have player options. Pat Spencer has a conditional player option. Horford may retire, and Melton seeks a bigger payday on the open market. Melton is having one of the best seasons of his career, though the 27-year-old has only appeared in 31 contests.
Unrestricted free agent Kristaps Porzingis, who has only played one game since the Warriors acquired him at the trade deadline, could return next year at a cost-efficient price. Quenten Post is slated to be a restricted free agent, and while his efficiency has dropped a little, he has been productive. Post’s qualifying offer is for $2.7 million, though the 25-year-old could get a slight increase in a multi-year deal.
Seth Curry is slated to be an unrestricted free agent. Curry has been injured for nearly the entire year, appearing in just two games. So, he is unlikely to return, though it is possible; he signs another minimum deal if the Warriors have an open roster spot.
Golden State has just one first-round draft pick in 2026. The Warriors have been linked to Giannis Antetokounmpo, though it is hard to imagine the Warriors being able to trade for him. Unless they offer all their draft capital (that they can trade) and either Jimmy Butler or Green. Speaking of Butler, he is likely to miss the start of the 2026-27 season after tearing the ACL in his knee.
The biggest thing that the Warriors need is to add depth, athleticsm and get younger. Keeping Santos is a good start, but they will need to do more.
