Golden State Warriors schedule
Warriors Racing the Clock to Trade Kristaps Porzingis After He Steps Away From Basketball
The Biggest Trade Story in the NBA Right Now
The most closely watched trade situation in the league this week isn't about a player asking out. It's about one who has stepped away.
On Friday, Nov. 6, Kristaps Porzingis announced he is stepping away from basketball for health reasons. He has not formally retired. Since then, multiple reports say the Golden State Warriors are working to trade his contract, and they'd like to do it soon.
What's Been Reported
- The Warriors are "determined to trade" Porzingis, according to Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line.
- Their target date is Dec. 16. Golden State would prefer a deal by then but would accept one any time before the Feb. 11 trade deadline.
- His salary can still be traded. Per Anthony Slater and team sources (via ESPN), Golden State can use his roughly $20 million salary in a trade even while he's away. The Warriors have been withholding his salary during his absence.
- The contract is more movable than it looks. Stein and Fischer report that his limited guarantee for next season and his reported willingness to discuss a buyout make it more attractive to a trade partner.
- A buyout is the fallback. If asking prices get too high, the Warriors could buy him out themselves.
Why Dec. 16 Matters
Dec. 16 is the last day Golden State could acquire a player with Porzingis's salary and still be allowed to re-aggregate that player's contract in another trade before the Feb. 11 deadline. In plain terms, a deal by Dec. 16 keeps the Warriors' options open for a second, bigger move later in the season. A deal after that date limits what they can do with whoever comes back.
What It Will Cost
Rival teams know Golden State is motivated, and they're acting like it.
- Executives from three rival teams reportedly want the Warriors to attach draft capital to Porzingis in any deal that returns a starting-caliber big man.
- The Warriors haven't ruled out adding picks, but only for the right player.
- Golden State wants to keep Moses Moody out of any in-season trade. The team still expects him to make an impact once he returns from injury.
- Rival executives have also said the Warriors haven't discussed packaging Porzingis with Draymond Green.
Who Could Be Involved
No reported suitors yet. Golden State has been linked in a separate report to Bulls big man Jalen Smith, whose $9.4 million expiring contract has drawn interest from the Warriors, according to Jake Fischer. Nothing has come of that so far.
Fan-built trade proposals on ESPN's Trade Lab have imagined Porzingis deals with Milwaukee, Dallas and New Orleans. Those are fan proposals, not reported talks.
What to Watch
- Dec. 16. If a deal happens, expect it before this date.
- The price in picks. How much draft capital Golden State attaches will show how aggressive it plans to be this season.
- Moody's status. If he turns up in reports, the Warriors' approach has changed.
- A buyout. If talks stall, a buyout would clear the roster spot and close the story.
Above all, a person is stepping away to deal with his health, and the business side shouldn't overshadow that. We wish Porzingis well.
Sources: ESPN NBA Buzz, Bleacher Report, Hoops Rumors (Stein's Latest), HEAVY
Follow every Warriors game, trade and all: add the Warriors schedule to your calendar with TeamCalendar. It updates itself when game times change.