Change is coming to Golden State.
Though it’s not the change many had been anticipating.
In a surprising transfer, the Warriors acquired Kristaps Porzingis from the Hawks in trade for Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield.
Charles Wenzelberg / New York Publish
Increase your hand when you noticed this one coming. Now put it down, you liar.
Over the previous few weeks, Dub Nation drooled over the thought of buying and selling for former MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. Pairing him with Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler (when he returns subsequent season) was seen as a transfer that might lengthen the dynasty and provides Curry at the very least one other chew or two at his fifth NBA title.
Warrior followers had been so enamored with the concept that they’d accepted the truth that Draymond Inexperienced, the guts and soul of the dynasty, can be shipped off to Milwaukee within the commerce. Nonetheless, they had been lower than thrilled with the notion that he would possibly find yourself on the Lakers with LeBron James and Luka Doncic.
Alas, all of that chatter and time spent on commerce machines was pointless as a result of in the long run, Warriors GM Mike Dunleavy Jr. did what he thought was greatest for Golden State — commerce two items who weren’t within the rotation for an all-NBA caliber large man.
In actuality, it feels as if the Warriors are buying and selling one enigma for an additional. With all due respect to Hield, however he was a throw-in for wage filler.
For Kuminga, the drama-filled saga is lastly over.
Since being drafted by the Warriors in 2021 with the seventh total choose, his tenure within the Bay Space can greatest be described as rocky at greatest. There have been flashes of greatness, which is why the Warriors held on to him for therefore lengthy, and saddled with stretches of incompetence, which is why the return was so low.
Regardless of possessing unbelievable athletic traits, Kuminga by no means discovered consistency with the Warriors. All the time believing he was a bride fairly than a bridesmaid, he had bother filling the position Dunleavy and head coach Steve Kerr wanted out of him to make the roster work.
The up-and-down affair, thought to have reached its climax in the summertime with a prolonged contract negotiation, lastly hit a breaking level when Kuminga and his camp demanded a commerce in January. Dunleavy wasted little time in addressing these rumors.
“I believe so far as the demand, we’re conscious of that. When it comes to calls for, once you make a requirement, there must be a requirement available in the market,” Dunleavy stated.
“We’ll see the place that unfolds,” he added. “I inform them I’m prepared to work with them, wish to assist folks out, whether or not that’s J.Ok. or any participant on our roster. We’re good with it, if that’s his needs, attempting to determine that out, however we bought to do what’s greatest for our group, and that’s what we’ll do, so far as it goes with the deadline developing.”
So out he went. And in got here probably a much bigger enigma.
On paper, Porzingis is a perfect match alongside Curry, Inexperienced and Butler. A 7-2 large man who can knock down threes, it’s like he was inbuilt a lab to play in Kerr’s movement offense. Add in his defensive capabilities as a rim-protecting heart, and you’ll see his match with this staff and the imaginative and prescient they’ve for him.
However all of that depends upon one tiny, minute element. Will Porzingis even play?
He missed half of the 2025 season with the Celtics when he was recognized with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), an autonomic nervous system dysfunction that causes dizziness and excessive fatigue.
After being traded to the Hawks, he missed important time this season as a result of left Achilles tendinitis. He’s solely performed in 17 out of a potential 52 video games this 12 months, and hasn’t seen the court docket since January 7 — though based on sources, it’s believed he’ll return to the court docket quickly.
Make no mistake, when wholesome Porzingis can flat-out hoop. He averaged 20.1 factors on 37.5 p.c from three and seven.2 rebounds per sport throughout Boston’s title-winning season two years in the past. The 12 months earlier than that, he averaged 23.2 factors and eight.4 rebounds per sport with Washington.
If wholesome, this commerce has the potential to be extra monumental than the final commerce deadline when Dunleavy traded for Butler.
A core 4 of Curry, Inexperienced, Butler and Porzingis is gifted sufficient to compete with anyone within the Western Convention. However so many questions stay, and with Butler out for the foreseeable future after tearing his ACL just a few weeks in the past, none of these solutions will come to fruition this season.
In the long run, it’s a sensible transfer for Golden State, and you’ll see why they did it:
They turned two non-rotation gamers into one rotation participant. And if it doesn’t work out with Porzingis, he’s on a $30.7 million expiring contract after this season, which frees up cap area shifting ahead.
Will any of that quantity to getting Curry his fifth ring? Time will inform, however at the very least the Warriors can say they did one thing — even when it’s not what Dub Nation hoped for.
