The NBA’s 2026 free-agency window is open, and the first day already has the Warriors and Kings at the center of the noise.
Golden State’s roster picture is wide open, and general manager Mike Dunleavy didn’t sugarcoat it when he said the team needs “everything,”. That’s the backdrop for a franchise that is reportedly aiming high: the Warriors are hoping to sign superstar LeBron James and trade for Anthony Davis in an effort to build a new Big Four in the Bay.
James set that chase in motion Tuesday when he informed the Lakers that he plans to play elsewhere next season, closing out his eight-year run in Los Angeles and immediately kicking up speculation about a move to Golden State.
The Warriors also already made one notable retention move. Kristaps Porziņģis reportedly agreed to a two-year, $40 million contract extension to remain with the team on Monday. On top of that, both Draymond Green and De'Anthony Melton declined their player options for the 2026-27 season.
Sacramento’s early action is shaping up around a potential sign-and-trade involving Jalen Duren. The Kings and Pistons star reportedly will meet when free agency begins to put together a deal that would send the big man out of Detroit, and Sacramento could be involved by moving Domantas Sabonis.
There’s also movement around the Kings’ veteran core. Zach LaVine reportedly opted into his $49 million player option for the 2026-27 season, while the team might be considering waiving and stretching the remainder of DeMar DeRozan’s contract.
Warriors insider Monte Poole also listed eight free agents.
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Kings Just Sent Another Clear Message About Their Backcourt Future
The back end of Sacramentos roster has been in motion for a while, and Killian Hayes is the latest guard to lose his spot. The Kings brought him in during an injury-ravaged stretch of the 2025-26 season, first on short-term help and later on a deal with a team option, but the move always looked like a stopgap rather than a long-term commitment.
What comes next says even more about how the Kings view their backcourt. Daeqwon Plowden has been in the mix and has flashed enough to stay on the staffs radar, and the organization is now weighing a bigger role for him as it trims down its guard picture. For a team trying to sort out who really belongs in the rotation, this is another small but telling signal about where the future is headed. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Free Agency Plan May Signal A Much Bigger Frontcourt Shakeup
The Kings are heading into free agency with more frontcourt questions than usual, and Precious Achiuwa looks like one of the cleaner answers on their board. Sacramento is expected to pursue a return for the big man, a move that would keep a familiar piece in place while the team sorts through a busier set of possibilities around its interior rotation.
At the same time, the picture around the rest of the front line is anything but settled. There has been ongoing buzz around Jonathan Kuminga, though the reporting on Sacramentos level of interest has not been consistent, and Russell Westbrook is also expected to move on even as Washington has shown some interest. Taken together, it has the feel of a summer in which the Kings may be preparing for a much bigger reshuffle than a routine depth move. [Read more 🡒]