The NBA Cap Ledger Vol. XI · 2026-27 · Computed live
Golden State Warriors · Salary cap report
Warriors are $0.9M over the first apron.
Golden State Warriors payroll for the 2026-27 season is $209.4M against a $165.0M salary cap.
Payroll, the money committed to the roster, is signed salaries, dead money, and drafted-rookie holds: $209.4M. Counting cap holds for their own free agents, the Warriors' cap number rises to $228.1M, which is why there is no usable cap space until those holds come off the books. Renouncing every free-agent hold would open -$45.8M of room and give up Bird rights. Drafted-rookie holds count against the cap, not the luxury tax.
The salaries actually committed to players right now.
Counts against the cap$228.1M
What the league counts: payroll plus free-agent hold placeholders.
Luxury tax lineOVERby $9.0M
Cross it and the team pays a penalty on every dollar over.
First apron lineOVERby $0.9M
A stricter line. Over it, the bigger roster tools freeze. The apron figure counts $0.5M in unlikely bonuses on top of payroll: incentive money a player probably won't earn, which counts against the aprons but not the cap or tax.
Where the Warriors land · payroll against the cap lines
Payroll $209.4M
Cap$165.0MTax$200.4MApron 1$209.0MApron 2$221.7M
The solid bar is real payroll. The hatched extension is a free-agent hold crossing the cap line. Renounce it and the room clears.
The apron math · what counts toward the aprons
Payroll (contracts, dead money, drafted rookies)$209.4M
Unlikely bonuses+$0.5M
Apron figure$209.9M
First apron $209.0MOVERby $0.9M
Second apron $221.7MUNDERby $11.8M
Free-agent cap holds never count toward the aprons. Only payroll (with drafted rookies booked as signed) and unlikely bonuses, incentive money a player probably won't earn, do.
The books
2026-27 focused
Player
Pos
2026-27
2027-28
2028-29
Signed contracts
Stephen Curry
G
$62.6M
–
–
Jimmy Butler
G
$56.8M
–
–
Draymond Green
F
PO$27.7M
–
–
Kristaps Porziņģis
F
$19.2M
$20.8M
–
Moses Moody
G
$12.5M
$13.4M
–
Al Horford
C
$6.7M
$7.3M
–
Brandin Podziemski
G
TO$5.7M
–
–
De'Anthony Melton
G
$5.3M
$5.7M
–
Gui Santos
F
$4.6M
$5.0M
PO$5.4M
Will Richard
G
$2.2M
$2.5M
TO$2.7M
Signed subtotal
$203.3M
$54.7M
$8.1M
Draft picks · on roster, rookie-scale hold
Yaxel Lendeborg · No. 11ROOKIE
–
$6.1M
–
–
Payroll
$209.4M
$54.7M
$8.1M
Cap holds · placeholders, not paid
Pat SpencerNON-BIRD
G
$2.8M
–
–
Gary Payton IINON-BIRD
$2.8M
–
–
Seth CurryNON-BIRD
G
$2.2M
–
–
Charles BasseyNON-BIRD
G
$2.2M
–
–
Jeenathan WilliamsMIN HOLD
F
$2.2M
–
–
Malevy LeonsMIN HOLD
F
$2.2M
–
–
LJ CryerMIN HOLD
F
$2.2M
–
–
Lajae JonesMIN HOLD
F
$2.2M
–
–
Brandin PodziemskiBIRD 300%
G
–
$17.0M
–
Draymond GreenBIRD 150%
F
–
$41.5M
–
Stephen CurryNON-BIRD
G
–
$61.8M
–
Jimmy ButlerEARLY BIRD
G
–
$61.8M
–
Gui SantosBIRD 190%
F
–
–
–
Will RichardBIRD 300%
G
–
–
–
Moses MoodyBIRD 190%
G
–
–
$25.5M
Counts against the cap
$228.1M
$239.7M
$47.3M
What they can add
Taxpayer MLEup to $6.1M
A smaller mid-level signing slot, the only one this high. Using it locks their spending at the second apron.
Bird rightsLets them re-sign their own free agents up to the max.
Locked outUp here they lose the bigger mid-level and the bi-annual slot, can't bring a player in by sign-and-trade, and can't take back more salary than they send out.
Trade exceptions
Trade exception · from the Trayce Jackson-Davis tradeup to $2.2M
Absorbs one incoming contract up to this amount with no salary matching. Expires Feb 5, 2027.
A trade exception is a credit from an earlier trade, not money on the books, so it does not count toward the cap, tax, or apron. On file as of Aug 1, 2026; may not be complete.
Decisions ahead
Expiring after 2026-27
Stephen Curry $62.6M, Jimmy Butler $56.8M, Draymond Green $27.7M, Brandin Podziemski $5.7M come off the books.
The Warriors control 7 first-round and 2 second-round picks.
2026
▸2026 1st (own) · No. 11
▸2026 2nd (via LAL) · No. 54
The Lakers' own second conveyed to Golden State at pick 54, routed via Toronto, Miami, and Cleveland. From the February 2026 Trayce Jackson-Davis trade.
▸Their own 2nd, owed to MIA · No. 41
Golden State's own second conveyed to Miami at pick 41, routed via Charlotte, New York, Oklahoma City, and Atlanta.
2027
▸2027 1st (own)
▸Their own 2nd, owed to PHI
Owed to Philadelphia or Washington; Philadelphia is credited with the more favorable of the GSW and PHX 2027 seconds via the 2025 Washington trade.
2028
▸2028 1st (own)
▸Their own 2nd, owed to PHI
Golden State's own second sits in a pool from the July 2026 Jaylen Brown trade: Boston takes the most favorable of the Golden State, Milwaukee, and Oklahoma City 2028 seconds and Philadelphia the two least favorable. Golden State's slot lands with Philadelphia or Boston.
2029
▸2029 1st (own)Stepien-locked
▸Their own 2nd, owed to BKN
Owed to Brooklyn, unprotected.
2030
▸Their own 1st, owed to MEM
Golden State's first is top-20 protected and conveys only if it lands 21-30; if it lands 1-20 Golden State instead sends its 2030 second. Routed to Washington then Dallas, and on to Memphis in the July 2026 six-team trade.
▸Their own 2nd, owed to MEM
Owed to Memphis only if the 2030 first stays top-20 and does not convey; the conditional second travels with the first, sent to Memphis in the July 2026 six-team trade.
2031
▸2031 1st (own)Stepien-locked
▸Their own 2nd, owed to DET
Chicago takes the more favorable of the Minnesota and Golden State 2031 seconds and Detroit the less favorable. Golden State's slot is the one projected less favorable and goes to Detroit.
2032
▸2032 1st (own)
▸Their own 2nd, owed to MEM
Owed to Memphis, protected 31-50 (conveys only if it lands 51-60).
Capmath