The Golden State Warriors didn’t land Giannis Antetokounmpo in a blockbuster deal before the NBA trade deadline, but they did add former All-Star Kristaps Porzingis to the lineup.
In exchange, Golden State traded guard Buddy Hield and forward Jonathan Kuminga to the Atlanta Hawks. That adds Porzingis to a struggling Warriors team that was dealt a rough season-ending injury to Jimmy Butler as they attempt to contend in the Western Conference.
It marks the sixth team in Porzingis’ NBA career, after he initially joined the New York Knicks in 2015 as the fourth overall pick. In addition, he’s had stints with the Dallas Mavericks, Washington Wizards, and Boston Celtics, the latter of which brought him an NBA Championship.
Atlanta was Porzingis’ most recent team in his professional basketball journey, and their roster recently shook things up, first by trading away All-Star Trae Young. Porzingis was the latest star player the team traded after appearing in just 17 games this season.
Porzingis brings season averages of 17.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.7 assists to the Warriors. However, he hasn’t appeared in an NBA game since Jan. 7 as he recovers from an illness.
Ahead of their game against the Phoenix Suns, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr spoke about the trade, saying they expect Porzingis to be healthy enough to help them push toward their goals this season.
“I don’t think we would’ve made the trade if we didn’t think he could be healthy and consistent in terms of being in the lineup…We’ve never really had a player quite like him,” Kerr told reporters.
Along with that, Warriors beat reporter Danny Emerman indicated that Porzingis is expected to join his new team tomorrow in Los Angeles, but is unlikely to debut until they return home.
That’s a promising update, suggesting Porzingis will actually participate in an upcoming game after his absence from the hardwood due to illness.
The Warriors face Phoenix Thursday night, followed by Saturday’s game against LeBron James, Luka Doncic, and the Lakers. They’ll return home on Monday, Feb. 9, to host the Memphis Grizzlies, so it should be interesting to see if Porzingis plays or watches his new team from the bench.
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