The Warriors’ center search is starting to look like a fork in the road, and one path could shut the door on even a sliver of Nikola Jokic hope.
Golden State needs a starting-caliber big man, and it needs one sooner rather than later. But the bigger question is how the team wants to spend its assets. If the Warriors use Kristaps Porzingis as the centerpiece of a trade, they may be sacrificing the cap flexibility that could matter next summer if a star shakeup ever opened the door to free agency.
That matters because Jokic’s name is still floating in the background, however faintly. The Nuggets’ early season hasn’t exactly looked convincing.
They were held to 84 points by the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday, then needed overtime to escape the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday night despite Jokic piling up 35 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists. Even with Jokic saying he’ll be re-signing with Denver in the offseason, rival teams are bound to keep an eye on what happens if the Nuggets wobble.
Golden State could be one of the teams quietly hoping for that kind of opening, but a Porzingis deal might make that dream irrelevant. If the Warriors trade him now, the return would likely be a player with multiple years left on his contract.
Since Porzingis’ value comes from being an expiring deal, Golden State may have to absorb money that doesn’t offer much flexibility. Myles Turner has already been named as a possible target.
That leaves the Warriors staring at a tough choice over the next nine months. They can package expiring contracts and draft capital to chase a major move before the deadline, or they can preserve their books and take their shot in free agency next year, where they wouldn’t have to surrender assets.
The center spot makes the decision even more pressing. Porzingis is plainly not the answer and may never play again, and while there should be center options available on the trade market before the deadline, none of them are likely to carry the kind of appeal Jokic does. Karl-Anthony Towns, who can also become a free agent in the summer, is another name in that tier.
In Other News...
Warriors May Have An Unexpected Opening For A Bigger Trade Swing
Paolo Bancheros low-grade ankle sprain has added a new wrinkle to Orlandos offseason and may force the Magic to make roster decisions sooner than expected. With the young forward potentially sidelined for 4-6 weeks, the injury comes at a time when the organization is already navigating financial pressure, and that kind of squeeze can change the way teams think about their long-term core.
For the Warriors, it creates another situation worth watching closely. Golden State has salary cap flexibility and has been linked to interest in multiple Orlando players, with the kind of uncertainty around the Magics roster now making names like Franz Wagner and Wendell Carter Jr. part of a bigger conversation. Nothing is settled yet, but the injury may have nudged an already interesting market into a more urgent place. [Read more 🡒]
Warriors Loss Exposed A Familiar Problem Fans Can't Ignore
The Warriors left Phoenix with another reminder that even when the shot-making is there, the margins can still slip away. In the Suns home opener, Golden State fell 131-122 as Devin Booker piled up 43 points along with seven rebounds and seven assists, and the game had the feel of a winnable night that got away once Phoenix settled in.
Even in defeat, the Warriors showed some fight on the glass, getting out-rebounded 44-42 by a Suns team that still had to work for control inside. But with several key players unavailable, the familiar issue was not effort so much as whether Golden State can sustain enough size and physicality to survive nights like this over the long haul. [Read more 🡒]
Blazers Face One Big Question In High-Risk Trade Gamble
The idea of Portland taking a swing on Kristaps Porzingis has plenty of appeal, especially if the Trail Blazers can also turn the deal into future draft capital. For a team still sorting out its next competitive window, that kind of move fits the broader question of how aggressively it wants to accelerate the rebuild, particularly with Scoot Hendersons contract situation already part of the long-term planning.
From the Warriors side, the attraction is simpler: moving Porzingis before his health becomes a bigger roster complication. For Portland, the real calculus is harder, because a trade built around Shaedon Sharpe would force the Blazers to weigh upside against risk and decide whether this is the right time to sacrifice a young piece for a veteran who comes with durability concerns. [Read more 🡒]