Kristaps Porzingis' $40 Million Deal: The One Move That Could Blow Up the NBA's Biggest Superteam Dream

Alright, strap in, because the NBA just got a whole lot more complicated. Kristaps Porzingis, the Golden State Warriors' big man, just agreed to a two-year, $40 million extension on Monday, per ESPN's Shams Charania. The second season comes with a player option. But forget the specifics of *his* deal for a second, because this move just tossed a massive wrench into the wildest superteam fantasy circulating the league: LeBron James and Anthony Davis in Warriors' uniforms.

The Warriors' Wildest Dream Just Hit a Wall

You've heard the buzz, right? The Warriors have reportedly been planning to trade Jimmy Butler for Anthony Davis. Their endgame? Convince LeBron James to join them on the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, a $15 million deal. LeBron, AD, Curry, all on one squad. It's the kind of scenario that feels like a cheat code. But Porzingis' extension just made that vision a whole lot tougher to realize. The Warriors now have significantly less room to maneuver, less wiggle room to make this blockbuster happen.

Crunching Numbers: Draymond's Million-Dollar Question

Let's dive into the cap sheet, because this is where the drama truly unfolds. If they somehow pulled off the James-Davis coup, their projected 10-player roster salaries would look wild: Stephen Curry at $62.6 million, Anthony Davis at $58.5 million, Kristaps Porzingis at $19 million (assuming his lowest 2026-27 salary), LeBron James at $15 million, Moses Moody at $12.5 millio

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n, Al Horford at $6.8 million, Yaxel Lendeborg at $6.1 million, Brandin Podziemski at $5.7 million, Gui Santos at $4.6 million, and Will Richard at $2.2 million. That's about $193 million combined. Here’s the killer: once James gets that non-taxpayer mid-level, the Warriors will be hard-capped at the $209 million first apron. That leaves them with only about $16 million to sign four more players, and one of them *has* to be Draymond Green. Green declined his $27.7 million player option Monday, likely to help the team. But for this plan to work without dumping another player, he'd need to take a salary under $10 million. Draymond taking that kind of pay cut? It would be absolutely stunning.

Is the Superteam Dream Dead, or Just on Life Support?

Now, don't write off the superteam fantasy entirely just yet. If the Warriors were truly convinced they were getting James and Davis, they could have justified waiting to sign Porzingis, or even letting him walk. But they didn't. So, what’s the path? NBA salary cap analyst Yossi Gozlan proposed a projection on X that involves the Warriors dumping Moses Moody's contract into a rival team's cap space. If they manage that, they could pay Draymond Green $19 million in 2026-27 and fill the remaining roster spots with veteran minimums. The question remains: would a team take on Moody's contract? He's just 24 and under contract in 2027-28 for a bargain, but he's also out for most of the 2026-27 season. Man, the NBA offseason is already delivering. Keep your eyes glued to how this unfolds, because it's going to be a wild ride!

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.