How Likely Are the Warriors to Re-Sign Two Centers During the 2026 Offseason?
The NBA Playoffs have neared their climax, and the tournament has almost determined all four of its final contestants. For most other teams, the brainstorming has begun to construct a roster capable of playing in May and early June. The Golden State Warriors are one of those groups, and they have a summer full of decisions ahead of them. To their credit, they quickly sorted out a key question regarding their coaching situation, bringing back a heavily speculated Steve Kerr for a 13th consecutive season. However, on the playoff side, much work lies ahead. More specifically, the Warriors' under-contract depth at the center position is lacking greatly, but the team may not have to go too far to fill it up.
Last summer, Golden State signed Al Horford on a two-year, $11.7 million deal that included a player option for the upcoming campaign. The Warriors didn’t necessarily receive the output they’d hoped to get from Horford, as injuries plagued his first season with the Dubs. When on the court, ‘Big Al’ gives Golden State the ability to play five-wide and expose teams with a traditional center. On the other hand, his age and recent injury history are worrisome to anyone who expects an important role from the former 2022 champion. General manager Mike Dunleavy will most likely keep an eye on the market and be in close contact with coach Kerr to determine a center’s profile that fits the team’s plans. I expect Horford to be a safety net option, which ultimately will depend on what the Warriors want from their center position.
Kristaps Porziņģis has similar concerns to Horford in terms of age and durability, but a very different role. Golden State traded for the ‘Unicorn’ in midseason, and would’ve ideally wanted him to play around 30 minutes as often as possible. He instead clocked 23.7 minutes per contest and was largely unavailable for back-to-back games due to multiple ailments. For fans, a promising trade instead became a source of frustration, but it’s important to consider what the Latvian veteran can still bring to the table. Assuming he’d play much more frequently than last season, Porzingis has the intangibles to be the Warriors' starting center and would give them both offensive versatility and a big body defensively.
If I had to give my final verdict, I would say Golden State brings back both centers. Time is running out for the front office to maximize Stephen Curry’s last years, and new faces may take time to adjust. For the sake of familiarity, and barring a drastic change in philosophy, I doubt the team from the Bay will look elsewhere in free agency. I hardly expect this position to be addressed in the draft either, so as of right now, the 2022 NBA Champions are very likely to bring back these two faces for the 2026-2027 campaign.
