Kristaps Porziņģis feels like a buzzkill for the Warriors after Giannis Antetokounmpo tease

Theoretically, Kristaps Porziņģis is a perfect player for the Warriors, who've long been searching for a stretch five who can protect the rim to play alongside Draymond Green. Al Horford was considered a tailor-made fit for the same reasons. Now the Warriors have both of them, as the Celtics did when they won it all in 2024. 

But two years ago is another lifetime in NBA time, and in this lifetime, Horford and Porziņģis are not the players they were in Boston. Porziņģis, specifically, has been stricken with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), a life-altering autoimmune disease that can cause, among other symptoms, dizziness, fainting, rapid heart rate, palpitations, blurred vision and extreme fatigue primarily when "standing upright." 

Porziņģis, who managed just 42 games last season, has played only 17 times so far this season. He played twice in December and hasn't played at all since Jan. 7. ESPN's Anthony Slater has reported that Porziņģis could be ready to go for the Warriors maybe as soon as Saturday against the Lakers, and Steve Kerr says the Warriors did their "due diligence" and would not have made the trade if they didn't believe they could manage Porziņģis' health and keep him on the court. 

That sounds great, but Porziņģis has had plenty of injury issues outside of the POTS diagnosis, and ultimately he hasn't been the player we saw in Boston for any stretch of time over the last year. Color me skeptical that a chronically injured 7-footer who has added an autoimmune disease to his list of ailments is going to all of a sudden turn up healthy. 

So what, then, do we make of this trade? Well, for starters, Kerr has already admitted the Warriors have an "absolutely lower" ceiling than they did with a healthy Jimmy Butler, which is equal parts obvious and depressing for a coach, even though he's simply speaking the truth, to be so openly resigned to the consolation bracket. 

Probably the most important element of this trade is it brings the Jonathan Kuminga saga to a merciful close. He plays for the Hawks now. He wasn't playing much, if at all, for the Warriors before Jimmy Butler got hurt, but this was an emotional cloud hanging over the franchise. Getting out from beneath that is a win in itself. 

Kristaps Porziņģis-Jonathan Kuminga trade grades: Warriors, Hawks take upside swings

Sam Quinn

There are going to a lot of Warriors fans disappointed in this deadline, with only Porziņģis to show for a lead-up that heavily teased the possibility of Giannis Antetokounmpo. Bear in mind, that dream isn't totally dead. Milwaukee is reportedly looking for a package that, as ESPN's Shams Charania phrased it, "blows them away" with as many as five first-round draft picks coming back to them. This summer, the Warriors indeed have ways to create five trade-eligible first-round picks. 

Of course this is the issue many Warriors fans have taken with Golden State's approach to roster management over the past few years: They've been holding onto the pipe dream of Giannis at the expense of using some of that capital to pursue other moves. That's not entirely true. They got Jimmy Butler, though he only cost them a protected first-round pick -- which wound up being the No. 20 selection last summer, where the Heat selected Kasparas Jakucionis, who has started to look pretty good.

What's frustrating to many is that they waited until Kuminga's value hit rock bottom before they acted, just as they did with James Wiseman. Reportedly, those were the two guys that Joe Lacob... shall we say... strongly encouraged his front office to take when the actual basketball people preferred the likes of Franz Wagner and Trey Murphy. Wiseman, in hindsight, should've been traded before he was ever selected for a win-now player. 

But Lacob became obsessed with proving his ability to author an equally successful sequel to this Warriors dynasty, for which Curry, deservedly, will always be credited. Had Lacob prioritized the maximization of the remainder of Curry's career all along, there were moves to be made. But oince it got this far, Kuminga was effectively worthless. 

Now, just because the Warriors probably should've been looking to be more aggressive with their future draft capital all along doesn't mean they should've overcorrected and tred to make up for that with an irresponsible deadline move. 

Just for argument's sake, they could have gotten Anthony Davis for nothing, but he's owed $112 million in guaranteed money over the next two years. The aforementioned Murphy might be one of those players who has priced himself out of a reasonable market; he's too good for a modest package but tough to justify giving up, say, four picks to land. That's Mikal Bridges and Desmond Bane territory, and neither of those deals look great right now. 

It's not to say the Warriors couldn't have gotten a real difference maker at this deadline. The Jazz got Jaren Jackson Jr. for three picks. The Pacers for Ivica Zubac for two first-rounders. You add Jackson to Golden State's already very good defense, and his stretch shooting alongside Curry, and you can do some things. Zubac is a tougher fit as a non-shooter, but a terrific defender and finisher. 

Before that Jackson deal went down, would the Jazz have listened to an offer for Lauri Markkanen that was close to what Golden State was offering for Giannis? Maybe a year ago, but by holding onto Walker Kessler and trading for JJJ they've announced their intentions to compete themselves. 

Besides that, a Giannis package for Markannen is an overpay. It can be argued that a little bit of an overpay to give Curry an honest shot in the West is worth it, but the Warriors have proven they're not going to do that. 

What they will do is make a move like the Butler one that doesn't cost them much, or they'll offer everything for Giannis. But as far as these middle-ground moves, a Murphy or Michael Porter Jr. (might the Heat have listened to an offer for Norman Powell, who's on an expiring contract?), they don't believe those are enough, ultimately, to make them an honest contender, and short of that they're not coming out of the stubborn corner into which they've painted themselves. So Porziņģis is it. 

It's a letdown in light of the Giannis hope, but if -- and again, this is a massive IF -- Porziņģis can be healthy come the postseason (assuming the Warriors make it that far), he does fill a longtime need. Beyond that, he could re-sign next season at a reasonable number that allows for other moves, or even be part of a sign-and-trade. Golden State isn't giving up on Giannis. The Warriors are also probably not going to get him. And the truth is, the longer they continue to live in that dream world, the shorter their time to make one last push with Curry becomes.