Before Any Games, the Numbers Already Define This Warriors Team
Golden State is 0-0, but its payroll, its ratings and one small-sample lineup already sketch the shape of the season ahead.
The Warriors haven't played a game, so the numbers that matter now come from the front office and from last season's tape. Together they describe a team spending like a contender while still searching for the lineup that proves it is one.
$221.1 million, above the line
Golden State's payroll for 2026-27 sits above the $209.0 million apron threshold, at $221.1 million. Curry's $62.6 million, Butler's $56.8 million, Green's $27.7 million and Porziņģis's $19.5 million make up more than three-quarters of that number. That leaves the front office almost no room to add pieces without moving money out first, and it explains why the only offseason addition of note was center Jacksen Moni, signed this week on a minimum deal rather than anything that would push the number higher.
37-45, and 20th in net rating
Last season Golden State finished 37-45, with a net rating of -0.5 that ranked 20th of 30 teams. The offense scored 113.8 points per hundred possessions, 19th in the league; the defense allowed 114.4, 16th. Those numbers describe a team that was competitive most nights but never separated from the pack on either end, a middling season for a franchise that spent much of the last decade near the top of the league.
+16.9, in eight games
Last season, the best five-man lineup Golden State ran together—Curry, Butler, Green, Kuminga and Podziemski—posted a plus-16.9 net rating across eight games and 65 minutes, scoring 119.7 and allowing 102.8. Stretch the sample to a different five-man look with Moody and Post over 17 games, and the net rating drops to -6.5. Eight games do not make a proven system.
26.6 points on 39.3 percent
Curry averaged 26.6 points last season while shooting 39.3 percent from three, missing only a handful of the efficiency that has defined his career. Butler added 20.0 points over just 38 games — durability, not talent, was the question. Porziņģis contributed 16.7 points in only 32 games, and Podziemski was the only regular to play all 82. The scoring numbers still work; what the roster needs to prove is that it can keep those two available together long enough to matter.
What is the Warriors' payroll for 2026-27?
It is $221.1 million, above the $209.0 million apron threshold, with Curry, Butler, Green and Porziņģis making up most of it.
What was Golden State's net rating last season?
It was -0.5, ranking 20th of 30 teams, with a 113.8 offensive rating and a 114.4 defensive rating.
