Kristaps Porzingis was in trade rumors for months with the Hawks, and he was indeed dealt to the Warriors ahead of the trade deadline. While Porzingis has endured injury struggles, he sounded upbeat in his first comments in Golden State on Saturday.
Porzingis also gets a reunion with former Celtics big man Al Horford, who signed with the Warriors over the summer as a free agent. Porzingis said he had already spoken to Horford and anticipates the veteran helping him acclimate to Golden State.
“We’ll have more time to talk and he will probably help me settle in even more here,” Porzingis told reporters in San Francisco. “So it’s good to have somebody like Al that I spent the last couple seasons together and to have him here already. Looking forward to building relationships here and getting to know everybody.”
Porzingis has dealt with illness and injury issues this season, most recently with left Achilles tendinitis. The big man said he’s aiming his return for the first game out of the All-Star break, which coincidentally is against the Celtics on Feb. 19. But that remains to be seen as Porzingis hasn’t played in a game since Jan. 7 with the Hawks.
It was a disappointing few months in Atlanta for Porzingis after getting traded from the Celtics to the Hawks over the summer. The Hawks hoped to be an East contender this season, but they’ve hovered around the .500 mark this year. They also traded away guard Trae Young to shake up their core.
But now Porzingis gets a chance to contribute for a Golden State team hoping to make noise in the playoffs. The Warriors were rumored to be a potential Giannis Antetokounmpo destination, but they pivoted to land Porzingis instead. Golden State has looked for a floor-spacing big, and Porzingis could be the answer there if he can stay healthy.
“I think it’ll be pretty natural,” Porzingis said. “I think I always say that because I think I’m the type of player that will fit into any kind of offense. So I expect it to be pretty smooth. We’ll see. Of course it takes a little bit of time to get adjusted to everybody, to guys get used to how I like to play and where I like to get the ball. But I think these guys are very experienced.”