The Golden State Warriors have added Kristaps Porzingis via trade
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The Golden State Warriors have added Kristaps Porzingis via trade
The Golden State Warriors addressed their need for some additional size in the front court at the Feb. 5 trade deadline. Mike Dunleavy Jr. struck a trade that landed Kristaps Porzingis in the Bay Area.
In a Feb. 7 edition of “The Draymond Green Show,” Golden State’s veteran forward gave his take on the franchise’s latest addition.
“I think overall, under the circumstances, I like to move. I think. You know, like I said, Kristaps Porzingis can really help this ball club,” Green said. “He will help this ball club. Looking forward to getting him back out there on the court. I know people’s been like, ‘Oh, he’s been injured,’ but we’ve got the best training staff and medical staff in the business. They’ve done their homework, and I believe in the homework that they’ve done.”
Green continued.
“Looking forward to getting Kristaps Porzingis out here, getting him on the floor with us, getting him acclimated to what Warriors basketball is and how we go about things and the playbook and all of this. Looking forward to that. I think it comes at a good time for us. You know, we’ll see what we can do with it.”
Porzingis was a key part of the Boston Celtics roster that won a championship in 2024, at least in the regular season. He has struggled with health for the past few seasons, having been diagnosed with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POSTS).
Warriors’ Porzingis Not Looking Beyond This Season
Porzingis joins the Warriors in the final months of his current two-year $60 million contract. He will become an unrestricted free agent in the summer. However, the veteran big man is choosing to remain in the moment and will worry about his long-term future once the season reaches an end.
“I don’t play into that too much,” Porzingis said. “I just want to finish the year strong. It’s already a little bit up and down this season… a new team, new chapter and we see where we go.”
If he can stay healthy, Porzingis will give the Warriors a new dimension on both sides of the floor. His size and mobility will ease the pressure of defending the rim. While on offense, Porzingis can work on the perimeter, in the post or around the dunker spot. He fills multiple gaps in the roster and could be an ideal pick-and-roll partner for Stephen Curry.
Porzingis Teams Back Up With Al Horford
Walking into a new locker room can be daunting. Fortunately for Porzingis, Golden State will have a familiar face waiting for him. Al Horford was also part of the 2024 championship team in Boston. The duo worked well together when sharing the court.
Therefore, Porzingis will have a friendly and familiar face to greet him once he’s cleared to work out and begin ramping up for games. It will be interesting to see whether Steve Kerr implements a front-court rotation of Green, Horford and Porzingis. The size, spacing and playmaking that trio could provide would be fearsome.
Adding Porzingis raises the Warriors’ ceiling. However, that only matters if he can stay healthy. Clearly, Green is confident in Golden State’s medical staff. So, all we can do is trust in that and wait to see how things shake out on the court.