Two New Contracts Nobody Can Read Yet
Golden State already sits over the luxury tax and the second apron, and the two newest commitments on the books still carry no public price tag.
The payroll is built around five contracts that already push past every threshold the league sets. Two more commitments agreed this fall have no reported salary at all, so the real shape of next year's spending is still unknown.
What $223.3 Million Buys
Golden State opens this season with a payroll of $223.3 million, sitting over the $200.4 million luxury tax line, the $209.0 million first apron and the $221.7 million second apron that limits nearly every roster tool a team can use. Five contracts carry most of that number: Curry at $62.6 million, Butler at $56.8 million, Green at $27.7 million, Porzingis at $19.5 million and Moody at $12.5 million. Everyone else on the 17-man roster — Horford, Lendeborg, Podziemski, Melton, Santos, Niang, Williams, Bassey, Payton, Toohey, Richard and Terry — fills out the rest at far smaller numbers.
Next Season's Books, Partly Written
Only eight of this year's contracts carry forward to 2027-28: Curry at $55.7 million, Porzingis with a $20.5 million player option, Moody at $13.4 million, Horford at $7.2 million, Lendeborg at $6.4 million, Melton with a $5.8 million player option, Santos at $5.0 million and Richard at $2.5 million. Butler and Green are not on that list. Whether the Warriors gain real room next summer turns on two option decisions that belong to Porzingis and Melton, not to Golden State.
Two Price Tags Still Blank
The front office added money this fall without disclosing it. Curry's two-year extension was finalized September 25, and Podziemski agreed to a five-year extension on October 10. Neither deal has had a salary or an option term reported. Both figures will eventually land on the same sheet as the five contracts already locked in, and both will shape this roster's finances more than anything in a preseason box score.
The Picks Are Still Clean
Where the money is crowded, the draft capital has room. Golden State owns its first-round picks outright in 2027, 2028 and 2029, plus second-round swaps in 2027 and 2028. A 2029 second is owed to Brooklyn, and a 2030 first is protected to Memphis along with a conditional 2030 second. None of that touches the second apron. It is what is left to spend once the current math stops working.
Are the Warriors over the luxury tax this season?
Yes. Golden State's $223.3 million payroll sits over the $200.4 million luxury tax line, the $209.0 million first apron and the $221.7 million second apron.
Do the Curry and Podziemski extensions have reported salaries?
No. Curry's two-year extension, finalized September 25, and Podziemski's five-year extension, agreed October 10, have not had salary or option terms reported.
