Porzingis, who turns 31 in August, will have a\u00a0player option for the second season.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Warriors acquired Porzingis, a 7-foot-2 center, at February\u2019s trade deadline from Atlanta for Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield. The floor-stretching, paint-protecting big man gives Golden State a new dimension when he\u2019s healthy. Porzingis averaged 16.1 points, 5.3 rebounds in 23.7 minutes over 15 games with the Warriors.<\/p>\n
But he has struggled with injuries and health issues in recent years, failing to play in 60 games in any of the past three seasons. He played in 57 and 42 games in his final two seasons with Boston, then in 32 last season combined with the Hawks and Warriors.<\/p>\n
One measure of how much Porzingis\u2019 injury-filled past impacted his value: His previous contract, signed with the Celtics in July 2023, was worth $60 million over two years.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The idea of pairing Porzingis and Stephen Curry<\/a>,\u00a0and the space that could create in the halfcourt offense, intrigues the Warriors. Curry and Porzingis played together in only three regular-season games last season, but they meshed well together<\/a> in Golden State\u2019s play-in bracket win over the Los Angeles Clippers on April 15\u00a0\u2014 when Curry scored 35 points and Porzingis had 20.<\/p>\n News of Porzingis\u2019 deal emerged hours after\u00a0Draymond Green<\/a> declined his $27.7 million player option, giving Golden State flexibility to strengthen its roster around Curry.\u00a0ESPN reported the Warriors are pursuing a \u201cBig Four,\u201d<\/a> adding LeBron James through free agency and Washington\u2019s Anthony Davis via trade to play alongside Green and Curry.<\/p>\n Porzingis\u2019 return complicates the salary-cap gymnastics required to make a potential Big Four work. Green, now a free agent, is expected to rejoin the Warriors on a two-year deal, but he might need to take an even bigger paycut than originally anticipated.\u00a0<\/p>\n And trading for Davis would come at a steep cost: Jimmy Butler\u2019s expiring contract, plus future first-round draft picks and likely draft pick swaps. The Warriors also might need to unload Moses Moody\u00a0\u2014 due to make $12.5 million next season, most of which he\u00a0will miss recovering from a torn patellar tendon\u00a0\u2014 to make the salary-cap math work.<\/p>\n For the Warriors to accommodate Davis and James on top of Curry and Green, they would need several players on cheap contracts. Golden State currently has three players scheduled to earn less than $6 million next season\u00a0\u2014 Brandin Podziemski, Gui Santos and Will Richard\u00a0\u2014 and soon will add first-round draft choice Yaxel Lendeborg.<\/p>\n