The Golden State Warriors are looking to trade Kristaps Porzingis after the star big man has been absent from the team to start the 2026-27 NBA season. The franchise hasn’t been paying the 31-year-old center, who most recently stepped back from basketball, but Golden State remains in trade rumors in an attempt to move the unhealthy player for new talent to capitalize on a hot start to the year.
With that, there was a recent report about the Warriors’ potential trade interest in Wendell Carter Jr. of the Orlando Magic, a big man who could arrive as a Porzingis replacement and give the Bay Area franchise the upgrade in the frontcourt they’ve been looking for all season.
While Porzingis might not ever play in the NBA again, he is somewhat a valuable trade piece for the Warriors. Opposing teams could add him while also not paying his contract, giving a group like the Magic more cap space to re-sign young wing Anthony Black, who is looking for a new deal that, right now, can’t be afforded by Orlando.
Warriors Trade Idea For Wendell Carter Jr. As Kristaps Porzingis Replacement
Amid the recent Warriors trade rumors surrounding Porzingis, team reporter Peter O’Keefe outlined a new trade idea that would see Golden State add Carter from the Magic to bolster the frontcourt depth, which, so far this season, has been minimal.
Here is the trade proposal, which works under the NBA’s current CBA, to give Golden State a new starting center:
Golden State Warriors receive: Wendell Carter Jr.
Orlando Magic receive: Kristaps Porzingis and a 2027 first-round pick
Brooklyn Nets receive: Jamal Cain and a 2030 second-round pick
Along with stating that this Warriors trade idea ‘makes too much sense,’ O’Keefe outlined what every team gets in this deal.
“Warriors get a 27yo starting level center. It would eat into their potential cap space next year, but it’s a movable salary if they need to include Carter in another trade further down the line. They suddenly look like a playoff team so they’d be hoping the pick is outside the lottery,” he wrote. “Magic get close to ducking the tax depending on what the KP buyout looks like, future financial relief & a first-round pick. – Nets get a second for facilitating the trade.”
Golden State is reportedly reluctant to add any draft capital in a Porzingis trade, but with him not playing, the team might be forced to throw in a first or second to get a move done. It wouldn’t be ideal, but if someone like Carter is on the table, taking the risk to capitalize on a much better start to the season than expected, it could be worth the price if it means keeping the core together while bolstering the roster in Stephen Curry’s final chapter with the team.
Golden State Linked To Orlando Magic Center In New Rumors
O’Keefe’s Warriors trade idea came after NBA insider Brett Siegel previously discussed some links between the Bay Area franchise and Orlando.
When discussing Golden State’s previous interest in a trade with the Magic, he explained how Carter could be a realistic target, as the Florida team is potentially looking to cut costs to avoid losing Black in free agency next summer.
“To keep Black, someone else would need to be moved from the roster for the Magic to be in good financial standing. Could that player end up being starting center Wendell Carter Jr.?” he asked.
“The Warriors are open to taking on longer contracts in a potential Porzingis trade, and Carter is currently under contract through the 2028-29 season, where he has a near $21 million team option. In eight games this season, Carter is averaging 14.3 points and 9.4 rebounds per game while shooting 65.6 percent from the floor and 40.0 percent from 3-point range.”
While not a superstar addition, Carter would become the Warriors starting center. The team doesn’t have much frontcourt depth right now, and while they would have to give up two key draft assets, it would replace the nothing Porzingis has offered this season with an experienced veteran who has been about as consistent as it gets during his seven seasons in Orlando.
“If the Magic become sellers, and it’s a major if right now, Carter is the ideal mold of player, and specifically a center, that the Warriors would want to target in a Porzingis trade and would be willing to offer draft compensation for. The Warriors are prioritizing potential deals that would only involve Porzingis’ $20 million salary spot and not the inclusion of other players.”
Though just a trade proposal, if the Magic are looking to move Carter for cap space, a deal like this, sending Porzingis to Orlando, could work.
O’Keefe believes it ‘makes too much sense,’ and while it’s hard to tell how interested the Warriors would be in the exact specifics of this trade idea, both sides seem to be keen on making a move soon.
“Many around the NBA are keeping an eye on the Magic and whether they look to trade some of their key talents,” Siegel added.
Warriors Trade Idea For New Porzingis Replacement ‘Makes Too Much Sense’