ESPN’s latest projections have both Northern California NBA franchises staring up at the rest of the Western Conference — for very different reasons.The outlet’s experts, in their preseason forecast, have the Warriors finishing the 2026-27 NBA regular season with a 35-47 record as the West’s No. 9 seed, securing a play-in tournament spot for a fourth straight year. The Kings fared much worse, projected dead last in the conference at 19-63 as a rebuild takes full shape in Sacramento.
The Warriors’ outlook hinges almost entirely on health. Golden State missed out on LeBron James this summer despite Draymond Green opting out of his own contract to help create the flexibility to pursue him, leaving the roster largely unchanged from a team that finished 37-45 and lost in the play-in tournament a year ago.
Jimmy Butler, who tore his right ACL in January, remains the single biggest swing factor for the season, while Moses Moody’s own season-ending knee injury only has added to the uncertainty on the wing.
The one genuine bright spot has been rookie Yaxel Lendeborg. The No. 11 overall pick was named 2026 Summer League...