The Golden State Warriors have already had Rui Hachimura on their radar, and Kristaps Porzingis’ contract could give them another shot at him once December arrives.
That possibility sits in the background as the Warriors prepare to face Hachimura and the visiting L.A. Clippers on Sunday. Golden State missed out on Hachimura in free agency, but the front office now has a different route to revisit that interest through Porzingis’ $20 million deal.
The Warriors have been looking at ways to use that contract, even as Porzingis remains away from the team and may never play professional basketball again while he continues to deal with illness. For now, though, a trade may have to wait. Other teams are still sorting out their own rosters and players, and Golden State could decide to stay patient as well, especially if its current three-game winning streak keeps rolling.
The Clippers themselves are in a tricky spot. After a rough summer that cost them five future first-round picks because of the Kawhi Leonard investigation, they have opened the season 1-4. They are also still without former All-Star Brandon Ingram, whom they got from the Toronto Raptors in the Leonard trade.
That kind of start can push a team toward seller mode, either at the deadline or even before it. If that happens, a veteran like Hachimura could become part of the conversation, especially with his $14 million team option for next season.
For Golden State, the appeal is obvious. The team has a tradable Porzingis contract now, but it also projects to have significant cap space in free agency next year. Hachimura could fit both timelines: a boost for the rest of this season, and a player the Warriors could choose to keep or let go depending on how the market develops.
A deal could even involve Porzingis and another small salary going out for Hachimura and Brook Lopez, or Hachimura and Derrick Jones Jr. It would not be a headline-grabbing swing, but it could still be the kind of move that matters - and it is one the Warriors can’t be ruled out from making after their earlier interest in Hachimura.
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Butlers absence still looms over the bigger picture, because the Warriors know this early surge only matters if it can hold up once the lineup gets closer to whole. The recent stretch has offered a reminder that the foundation is there, but it has also underscored how much the team will need added support to stay competitive over the long haul. [Read more 🡒]