Kristaps Porzingis, Warriors
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Kristaps Porzingis will make his debut with the Golden State Warriors as soon as Saturday against the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Golden State Warriors expect newly acquired center Kristaps Porziņģis to make his debut as soon as Saturday against the Los Angeles Lakers, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic.
Porziņģis represents Golden State’s biggest move at the trade deadline after the organization’s week-long pursuit of Giannis Antetokounmpo ended with Milwaukee holding onto its franchise star.
“They struck out on Giannis. That’s just the reality,” Slater said Thursday on NBA Today. “Porziņģis is a guy they’ve targeted since the Boston days — a stretch center who can rim-protect next to Draymond Green. They think he can help, and they’ve heard he could be healthy as early as Saturday.”
Warriors Pivot From Giannis to Porziņģis at Deadline
Golden State acquired Porziņģis from Atlanta in exchange for Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield, formally ending the Warriors’ Giannis pursuit once it became clear Milwaukee was not moving the two-time MVP.
The shift marked a practical pivot rather than a franchise-altering swing.
Slater described the move as a tacit acknowledgment that Golden State’s championship ceiling this season had changed without Giannis, but not an abandonment of competitiveness.
“They went to their small swing,” Slater said. “It was kind of a silent admission that the championship hopes aren’t necessarily there, but Porziņģis is someone they believe can still help them this year.”
Shams Charania: Warriors See High-Upside Fit With Porziņģis
ESPN insider Shams Charania framed the deal as a calculated bet on upside for a Warriors team already dealing with adversity.
“They get a high-upside big man if Kristaps Porziņģis can be on the floor,” Charania said on SportsCenter. “They’re excited about him. They had targeted him for the last few months.”
Charania also noted Porziņģis’ familiarity with championship-caliber environments, having played alongside Al Horford during Boston’s title run.
The Warriors have been without Jimmy Butler since January after Butler suffered a season-ending ACL injury, further elevating the need for frontcourt size and scoring.
Injury History Looms Over Porziņģis Trade
Durability remains the central concern.
Porziņģis missed 13 consecutive games before the trade — 12 due to left Achilles tendinitis — and appeared in just 17 games this season after playing 42 last year. Over the past two seasons, he has missed a significant portion of games due to lower-body injuries.
This year, the 7-foot-3 Latvian is averaging career lows in minutes (24.3) and rebounds (5.1), along with his fewest points (17.1) since his rookie season.
Still, Golden State accepted the risk once the Giannis path closed, believing Porziņģis’ floor-spacing and rim protection could stabilize a lineup built around Stephen Curry and Green.
Contract Flexibility Preserved After Giannis Miss
Porziņģis is on an expiring $30.7 million contract, preserving the Warriors’ long-term flexibility and leaving open the possibility of a larger move this summer.
However, Golden State’s offseason calculus will now be different without Kuminga, whom Milwaukee had shown interest in last summer.
Slater was blunt about the organizational implications.
“They held their draft ammo for this summer,” he said. “But it’s also an admission that Jonathan Kuminga didn’t work here. They didn’t develop him, they didn’t cultivate the relationship, and they gave away another lottery pick without much return.”
Kendrick Perkins: Kuminga Is the Real Winner
ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins argued that the biggest beneficiary of the trade was Kuminga, whose four-plus seasons in Golden State never fully aligned with the team’s system.
“But the bigger winner in this picture is Jonathan Kuminga heading to the Hawks,” Perkins said. “They might just have the most athletic team in the NBA. He’s going to thrive under Quin Snyder, playing alongside Jalen Johnson, and you’ve got a vet like CJ McCollum embracing his role.”
For the Warriors, the focus now shifts to what Porziņģis can provide immediately — and whether a calculated deadline pivot can still yield meaningful returns this season.