The Golden State Warriors pivot to Kristaps Porzingis, sacrificing Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield to bolster their championship pursuit after their pursuit of Giannis Antetokounmpo stalls.
The Golden State Warriors are 27-24 so far this season, and as long as 37-year-old Stephen Curry is on the floor, they like to think their championship window is still open.
They sit at No. 8 in the Western Conference standings right now through Thursday morning, which at least gets them in a play-in game. They'd like to at least get to No. 6 to avoid the play-in, but the big picture in San Francisco — as always — is winning an NBA title. Curry has won four NBA titles with the Warriors, and would dearly love a fifth.
After losing star forward Jimmy Butler to an ACL injury last month, the Warriors need some reinforcements and they've been trying to be aggressive as the trade deadline approaches later on Thursday.
The big push was for Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, but the Bucks aren't willing to trade their centerpiece unless they get a massive haul. They talked with the Warriors, but nothing got done.
So the Warriors moved on late Wednesday night. According to sources, they have traded with the Atlanta Hawks for veteran center Kristaps Porzingis, giving up Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield n the process.
Here's the story on the trade from Warriors Roundtable reporter Kyle Ngo.
Kuminga has had his share of ups and downs during his five seasons with Golden State, but has often found himself on coach Steve Kerr's doghouse. He is on an expiring $30.7 million contract.
The Warriors have had an interest in Porzingis for years. The 7-foot-2 center can score at all three levels, and he's averaged nearly 20 points per game since getting drafted by the New York Knicks in 2015. The Warriors think Porzingis and power forward Draymond Green pair well together.
But the Porzingis has been dealing with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome and other ailments this season, and has only played in 17 games for the Hawks this season after playing just 42 games for the Celtics a year ago.
He hasn't played since Jan. 7, but team sources said they anticipate Porzingis will make his return soon.
The Bucks seem set on holding on to Antetokounmpo through the deadline. He has one year remaining on his contract. He told reporters Wednesday that he would be interested in staying in Milwaukee if they built a roster around him that could contend for a title.
Here's the story from Bucks Roundtable reporter Grant Mona.
The Warriors also made another move earlier in the day, trading the 25-year-old Trayce Jackson-Davis, who has played limited minutes this year in his third season with the Warriors. He was a second-round pick out of Indiana in 2023.
He has played in 36 games this year, and is averaging 4.2 points and 3.1 rebounds in 11.4 minutes per night. He makes $2.2 millionthis season, and his contract includes a $2.4 million team option for 2026-27.