ESPN’s preseason outlook for the 2026-27 NBA season doesn’t exactly brighten the mood in Northern California. The Warriors are projected to land in the middle of the play-in picture again, while the Kings are pegged for the bottom of the Western Conference as their rebuild deepens.
Golden State is forecast to finish 35-47 and grab the West’s No. 9 seed, which would put the club in the play-in tournament for a fourth straight year. Sacramento, meanwhile, is projected to go 19-63 and finish last in the conference.
For the Warriors, the biggest question is health. The offseason did not deliver the splash they were chasing after missing out on LeBron James, even with Draymond Green opting out of his own contract to help create the flexibility to pursue him. That left Golden State looking a lot like the team that went 37-45 and fell in the play-in tournament a year ago.
Jimmy Butler looms as the major variable after tearing his right ACL in January, and Moses Moody’s season-ending knee injury only adds to the uncertainty on the wing.
There has been one clear lift, though: rookie Yaxel Lendeborg. The No. 11 overall pick earned 2026 Summer League MVP honors after averaging 14.8 points, 6.8 rebounds and four assists in six games. He finished the championship game with 21 points and 10 rebounds in a win over the Memphis Grizzlies, becoming the first player in franchise history to win the award.
ESPN’s Anthony Slater reported in July that Steve Kerr had already suggested Lendeborg could start the regular season in the Warriors’ lineup, which would be a notable show of trust from a coach who usually doesn’t rush rookies into major minutes. With Butler and Moody unavailable to begin the season, Golden State may need that kind of immediate impact just to stay afloat.
Sacramento is moving in a very different direction. The Kings parted ways with longtime veteran DeMar DeRozan this offseason and have leaned into youth, bringing in rookies Darius Acuff Jr., Alex Karaban and Emanuel Sharp through the draft while second-year players Dylan Cardwell and Max Raynaud continue to work their way into the rotation.
That shift comes with plenty of uncertainty. Trade chatter around Domantas Sabonis and Malik Monk has only added to the sense that the Kings’ nightly lineup could change depending on how the roster shakes out, and that kind of instability is exactly the sort of thing that can lead to the growing pains ESPN sees coming.
Both teams are banking on internal growth, just on different clocks.
For the Warriors, the hope is that a rookie forward can help cover for two injured veterans long enough for Steph Curry to have one more serious run. For the Kings, the focus is on enduring a tough season now while building a young core the front office believes can carry the franchise forward.
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Kings May Not Be Done Watching This Pistons Big Man
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For now, Duren remains tied to a contract standoff that could drag on, and that makes him worth tracking beyond this offseason. The Kings are expected to have more salary cap flexibility in 2027, which gives them a possible window if Durens future in Detroit ever becomes unsettled enough to matter again. [Read more 🡒]