The Golden State Warriors’ plan with Kristaps Porzingis looks increasingly straightforward: move him before the Feb. 11 deadline. The bigger question is how soon that happens, and which team is willing to step into the deal.
ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel reported Friday that a Porzingis trade will “likely” happen in the next 30-40 days. He also said the Milwaukee Bucks, New Orleans Pelicans and Chicago Bulls have reached out to Golden State about a possible deal.
There’s a financial wrinkle built into the whole thing. According to Siegel, Porzingis would give up “over 60 percent of his salary” in a buyout after the Warriors trade him. The exact savings for any team would depend on when the deal is completed and how much salary comes back to Golden State, but the basic idea is clear enough: a team can take on roughly $20 million in salary, buy out most of what’s left of Porzingis’ 2026-27 money and his $3 million guaranteed 2027-28 salary, and come away with a cleaner cap situation.
That’s why the interest is real, even if the numbers shift from scenario to scenario.
The Bucks have been part of the conversation, but the fit comes with a big asterisk. On Wednesday, The Stein Line’s Jake Fischer reported that Myles Turner is not “high” on the Warriors’ list of trade targets for Porzingis. Fischer added, “Golden State, sources say, would be seeking draft capital or other forms of incentive from the Bucks to consider a deal for Turner now.”
He also wrote, “While willing to give up Myles Turner for Porzingis’ contract, the Bucks have wanted draft compensation from the Warriors, something that isn’t on the table, sources said. Golden State has held firm that if it were to absorb Turner’s contract for Porzingis and another player, presumably Moses Moody, the team would need extra compensation from Milwaukee, and there really is no interest in trading Moody.”
Turner would make a lot of sense on paper. His three-point shooting and rim protection would slot neatly next to Draymond Green.
But the numbers this season raise a real question about how much value he still carries. He’s shooting just 31.6 percent from three and averaging 8.5 points and 5.6 rebounds per game.
With a salary of $26.6 million this season, $27.9 million next season and a $29.1 million player option in 2028-29, it’s fair to wonder whether he’s become a negative asset.
Even so, it’s hard to picture Milwaukee attaching draft compensation just to move him. The Bucks are in a long-term rebuild, and keeping Turner doesn’t block them from making a bigger move later.
Chicago has also been linked to the Warriors’ search. Fischer reported that Golden State is interested in Bulls center Jalen Smith, and there was already a look at what that kind of trade could involve. Siegel, though, said the Bulls haven’t shown interest in a Smith-for-Porzingis swap so far.
There’s another possibility there, too. The Bulls might prefer to move off the remaining two years of Nicolas Claxton’s deal rather than part with Smith, who is on an expiring contract.
That makes Claxton a name worth watching if Chicago stays in the mix. He’s a strong passer and a solid rim protector, but he isn’t a stretch-5, and the Warriors are already getting good production from non-stretch big Charles Bassey. The real question is whether Claxton is enough of an upgrade to justify using the Porzingis trade chip on him.
New Orleans brings a different kind of intrigue. The Pelicans have reportedly set steep asking prices for Herbert Jones and Trey Murphy III, and the most likely reason for checking in on Porzingis is simple: see whether Golden State is willing to meet that draft-capital price with Porzingis as the salary piece.
Jones is an excellent wing defender, but he’s shooting under 31 percent from three for the third straight year. Even one first-round pick for him would be a risky bet.
Murphy remains the more appealing target from a Warriors standpoint. The Dubs should meet the Pelicans’ asking price of three first-round picks, unless Moses Moody is included in the package, in which case the draft compensation should be reduced. Golden State hasn’t been willing to go that far, and there’s no reason to expect that to change now.
Still, the Pelicans can at least ask. If the Warriors are serious about pushing in around the end of Steph Curry’s prime, New Orleans has every reason to find out whether the price has finally changed.
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