- Position
- F
- Number
- #23
- Age
- 36
- Pieces here
- 24
On the record
Called Shots →At least one of Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green is not under contract with the Golden State Warriors on opening night of the 2027-28 season.
Golden State's apron-basis team salary is still above the first apron of $209,015,000 on opening night of the 2026-27 season.
Georges Niang appears in fewer than 40 regular-season games for Golden State in 2026-27.
Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis combine for fewer than 200 regular-season games played for the Golden State Warriors in 2026-27.
The Golden State Warriors record more than 346 total blocks in the 2026-27 regular season.
Al Horford leads the Golden State Warriors in total blocks in the 2026-27 regular season.
Graham Ike appears in at least 20 regular-season games for the Golden State Warriors in 2026-27.
Draymond Green plays in both of Golden State's back-to-back games: at home against the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday, October 23, 2026, and at the Phoenix Suns on Saturday, October 24, 2026. 'Plays' means any minutes in ESPN's box score for each game. If either game is postponed, VOID.
Golden State holds at least one of its next three opponents under 110 points: at the Denver Nuggets on Monday, October 26, 2026, at the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, or at home against the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday, October 30, 2026. 'Under 110' means the opponent's final score in ESPN's box score, overtime included, is 109 or fewer. If any of the three games is postponed, the claim is judged on the games played; if all three are postponed, VOID.
Yaxel Lendeborg plays more total minutes than any other Golden State player across the Warriors' six home games of October 30 through November 9, 2026 (the Lakers, the Clippers, Phoenix, Miami, Orlando and New Orleans), by the sum of ESPN's box-score minutes. A tie for the most is WRONG. If any game is postponed, the claim is judged on the games played; if all six are postponed, VOID.
Written about him
Lendeborg leads the Warriors in minutes, and Sunday starts a back-to-back
Golden State is 2-3 after five games, four of them on the road, and plays its next six at home: the Lakers on Friday, October 30, the Clippers on Sunday, November 1, Phoenix on Monday, November 2, then Miami, Orlando and New Orleans through November 9. Sunday and Monday are the second back-to-back of the season. On the first, October 23 and 24, Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Al Horford and Brandin Podziemski did not play the second night and rookie Yaxel Lendeborg played 37 and 36 minutes. By ESPN box scores Lendeborg has played 168 minutes in five games, 29 or more in every one, the most on the team. He carried a foot listing into Wednesday's win at Minnesota and played 35 minutes.
The Warriors scored 122 on the night Curry, Green and Horford sat
Golden State opened 2026-27 at 0-3: 127-105 at the Lakers on October 21, 111-108 to Memphis on October 23 and 131-122 at Phoenix on October 24. Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Al Horford played the first two and sat the third, the second night of a back-to-back, with Brandin Podziemski, who played only the Memphis game. By ESPN box scores the Warriors shot 41 percent in each of the two games the veterans played and 22 of 77 from three; on the night they sat the club shot 45 percent and 17 of 39. Opponents shot 136 of 253, 54 percent, across the three games. Rookie Yaxel Lendeborg led Golden State in minutes all three nights, 102 in total, with 29 against the Lakers, 37 against Memphis and 36 at Phoenix. The club is at Denver on Monday, and ESPN's injury notes of October 25 list Gui Santos questionable with left knee tendinitis, Brandon Williams and Charles Bassey probable, and none of the four veterans on the report.
Horford played both nights of no back-to-back last season, and Friday starts one
Golden State lost its opener 127-105 at the Lakers on October 21 and plays four games in six nights from Friday: Memphis at Chase Center on October 23, at Phoenix on October 24, at Denver on October 26 and at Minnesota on October 28. The first two are the season's first back-to-back. Kristaps Porzingis is not expected around the team in the immediate future, the club said Wednesday, and ESPN reported the Warriors are exploring trades for him. Charles Bassey did not play Wednesday with a knee injury. That left the center minutes to Draymond Green, 21, and Al Horford, 17, with two-way big man Graham Ike playing 12, while Walker Kessler scored 26 points on 12-of-12 shooting for Los Angeles. Across Golden State's 16 back-to-backs in 2025-26, by ESPN game logs, Green played both nights of eight, Stephen Curry both nights of five and Horford both nights of none. Golden State opened with all 15 standard roster spots filled, Brandon Williams among them, and sits $347,568 under the second-apron hard cap, by Spotrac.
Gui Santos has 11 of the 30 turnovers in Kerr's likely starting five
Steve Kerr made turnovers the subject of Monday's film session after counting about 90 through four preseason games; the box scores give 84. Through five games Golden State has 104, 20.8 a game, against 115 by its opponents. Last October the club had 110 in five exhibitions, then averaged 16.4 across its first five regular-season games and 15.7 across 82, team turnovers included, by ESPN's box scores. This fall the offense is new, which Kerr cited for holding off. Among the five Kerr is leaning toward for October 21, Gui Santos has 11 turnovers in 86 minutes across four games, after five in 71 minutes in last year's preseason and 1.5 a game last season. Podziemski has five, down from 14 last October, and Green three, down from 14. Kerr described Santos's place in that lineup as size and playmaking. Portland visits Chase Center on Friday for the last exhibition; Yaxel Lendeborg rolled his left ankle Tuesday and returned.
Porzingis is out indefinitely, and Bassey started when Green and Horford sat
The Warriors announced Wednesday that Kristaps Porzingis, who missed training camp and the first five preseason games, met with general manager Mike Dunleavy and Dr. Rick Celebrini at the practice facility on Tuesday and will remain out indefinitely due to the same health-related matter, but will be around the team. The club said it will give an update on a potential resumption of practice, playing status or timeline when available and appropriate. ESPN's Anthony Slater reported he is not cleared to practice. With Green and Horford resting in Tuesday's preseason game against the Lakers in Las Vegas, Charles Bassey started at center beside Stephen Curry, Brandin Podziemski, Gui Santos and Yaxel Lendeborg and played 27 minutes with 12 rebounds, and Graham Ike played 12, in a 101-89 win. The season opens October 21 at the Lakers, with a back-to-back on October 23 and 24.
Kerr wants Green or Horford out there as often as possible. Saturday it was 37 of 48
Steve Kerr said after Monday's practice that he is leaning toward starting Stephen Curry, Brandin Podziemski, Gui Santos, Yaxel Lendeborg and Draymond Green on October 21, with Al Horford off the bench, as reported by Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area. His reason was Horford's minutes: about 20 a game is the limit, and he wants Green or Horford on the floor as often as possible to anchor the defense. Saturday against Sacramento was the only preseason game Horford has played as a reserve. By NBA.com's substitution log, Green or Horford was on the floor for 37:32 of 48 minutes, both for 6:10, and neither for 10:28, of which Charles Bassey covered the last 8:09. Horford averaged 21.6 minutes across 45 games last season by ESPN's game log, 20.0 across the first 30, and did not play both nights of any of Golden State's 16 back-to-backs. The second and third games of the season are a back-to-back. Kristaps Porzingis is expected at Chase Center on Tuesday to meet the performance staff, and Kerr could not say whether he will be available for the opener. Horford is not traveling to Tuesday's game in Las Vegas, which Kerr called planned maintenance.
Al Horford is headed back to the bench he sat on for 32 games last season
Steve Kerr moved Al Horford out of Golden State's starting lineup before Tuesday's preseason game against the Lakers and said Horford will most likely come off the bench when the regular season starts, as reported by Anthony Slater of ESPN and Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area. Gui Santos replaced him, Draymond Green moved to center and Yaxel Lendeborg to power forward. Horford then did not play at all: Luca Evans of the San Francisco Chronicle reported, citing a team source, that he was scratched with a left knee contusion as a largely precautionary measure, and Slater reported he will not travel to Portland on Wednesday. The new five of Stephen Curry, Brandin Podziemski, Santos, Lendeborg and Green played 4:54 together at the start of the game and outscored the Lakers 23-13 in that stretch, per ESPN's play-by-play. Golden State won 124-98 against a Lakers team on the second night of a back-to-back that did not play Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves or Walker Kessler. Horford started 13 of his 45 games for Golden State in 2025-26 and played more than 25 minutes in 14 of them. Kristaps Porzingis remains away from the team with what general manager Mike Dunleavy has called a health issue.
Kerr sat three starters at halftime and kept Yaxel Lendeborg on the floor
Golden State lost its preseason opener to the Clippers, 104-101, in Honolulu on Sunday, October 4. The five Steve Kerr named on October 1, Stephen Curry, Brandin Podziemski, Yaxel Lendeborg, Draymond Green and Al Horford, started and played three minutes and 14 seconds together before the first substitution, per the NBA's play-by-play. Curry, Green and Horford played the first half only, at 12:58, 13:52 and 15:42. Lendeborg played 18:44, the most minutes of the 18 Warriors who appeared, and started the second half with Podziemski, De'Anthony Melton, Gui Santos and Charles Bassey. He had four points on 1-of-6 shooting, a game-high nine rebounds and three assists. Kerr said afterward that Lendeborg was good and needs to be more aggressive. When Kerr named the five, he said he did not know whether it would start on opening night, and the reason he gave was Horford's age and minutes. Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody did not play. Five preseason games remain before the October 21 opener at the Lakers.
Stephen Curry took nearly $21 million less and kept the 20th season for himself
Stephen Curry agreed on September 25 to a two-year, $116 million contract extension with the Golden State Warriors, first reported by Shams Charania of ESPN; the club announced the signing that night. Per Anthony Slater of ESPN, Curry's salary drops from $62.6 million this season to $55.7 million in 2027-28, then $60.2 million in 2028-29 on a player option. The maximum was two years and $136.7 million. ESPN reports the Warriors laid out several paths including waiting and a slight pay cut, and that the cut gives them about $10 million more projected cap space in the summer of 2027, when Jimmy Butler's and Draymond Green's contracts expire; Bobby Marks puts the space between $38 million and $55 million depending on Brandin Podziemski. The Associated Press notes 2028-29 would be Curry's 20th season, which would make him the fourth player to spend 20 or more with one franchise, after Dirk Nowitzki, Kobe Bryant and Udonis Haslem. One take filed, on Podziemski's October 19 extension deadline.
Vogel gets the Warriors defense, and its shot blockers played 1,425 minutes
Golden State blocked 346 shots in 2025-26, 4.2 a game, 26th in the league, and pulled down 31.0 defensive rebounds a game, 25th. It also finished second in steals and sixth in turnovers forced. Three men who are still under contract blocked shots at better than 1.5 per 36 minutes last season: Charles Bassey at 2.52 on 100 minutes, Al Horford at 1.89, Kristaps Porzingis at 1.62. They played 1,425 of the team's 19,805 minutes, 7.2 percent, across 65 games. The next rate on the list is Draymond Green's 0.81. Quinten Post and Trayce Jackson-Davis, third and eighth on the team in blocks, are gone, and with the other departures go 75 of the 346 blocks and 578 of the 2,540 defensive rebounds. The three players added since are a rookie forward, a power forward and a guard. Frank Vogel was announced as associate head coach on September 17 and Steve Kerr says he is turning the defense over to him. Vogel's twelve seasons as a head coach produced three defenses that finished first in the league and two that finished third. Camp opens in Hawaii on September 29. Two takes filed.
Steve Kerr Floated A Starting Lineup With A Rookie At Small Forward
Steve Kerr told NBC Sports Bay Area on September 3 that he would not predict a record, and in the same conversation named the lineup question he has to answer in camp: Yaxel Lendeborg at small forward, Draymond Green at power forward, Kristaps Porzingis or Al Horford at center. Kerr also said out loud that he cannot count on his older players for 82 games. Those four played 171 of a possible 328 last season, when Golden State went 37-45. Jimmy Butler, who turns 37 on September 14, is not expected back until the second half; Moses Moody is not expected back until 2027. Two takes filed, on Lendeborg's minutes and on how many games the four veterans reach.
Draymond Green Declined $27,678,571 And Signed For $27,678,571
Green's 2023 contract paid him in four equal steps and the fourth step was a player option worth $27,678,571. He declined it to help Golden State chase LeBron James, the chase failed, and on July 30 he signed for $27,678,571. The term is where the actual decision is, and it points at the summer of 2027.
The Warriors Spent The Summer In One Column
Gary Payton II is back at the minimum, joining Draymond Green, Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford and De'Anthony Melton. Five re-signings, no additions of consequence, and a roster nobody outside the building can even count exactly.