Warriors Get Blunt Kristaps Porzingis Trade News

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Kristaps Porzingis #7 of the Golden State Warriors

The Golden State Warriors are looking to move Kristaps Porzingis, and one reporter is not being subtle about it. Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report said Tuesday that the Warriors “certainly do want to move” the center.

What Fischer Reported

“I can tell you unequivocally from my early outreach around the NBA and to Golden State that the Warriors certainly do want to move Kristaps Porzingis,” Fischer said on a Bleacher Report Live stream. “That is unequivocal.”

Fischer described Porzingis as essentially an expiring contract, with only $3 million on the books for next season. He said Golden State is hoping to find a trade partner willing to send back a player now in exchange for salary relief. He also thinks the Warriors landing Lauri Markkanen would be far-fetched.

Why Golden State Warriors Want to Move Him

Porzingis is out indefinitely, and the Warriors have a thin rotation with Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody sidelined with long-term knee injuries. Porzingis is trade-eligible, so a deal could happen sooner than the February deadline.

That does not mean a trade is close. Most teams will not be ready to sell until mid-December, according to Joey Akeley of Sports Illustrated.

What a Return Could Look Like

Akeley laid out a few ideas for what the Warriors might target. Porzingis helps another team only if it gets off a long-term salary or receives draft capital, he noted.

In theory, the Warriors could build a bigger package around Porzingis and picks for a player like Trey Murphy III. The last time Golden State traded multiple first-round picks was in 2013, for Andre Iguodala, so that route would be a stretch.

A likelier path, per Akeley, is taking back a rotation player on a multi-year deal who is not a cornerstone. He pointed to Nicolas Claxton, who is owed $21.1 million in 2027-28, and said a package built on one lightly protected 2027 first-round pick could even aim for Myles Turner.

What’s Next for the Golden State Warriors

The Warriors are 5-3 and on a five-game winning streak, so they are not trading from a position of weakness. These are ideas, not reported talks, but Fischer’s report makes one thing clear: Golden State wants to move Porzingis, and it wants help in return.