The Warriors’ early-season mess has left them staring at a Kristaps Porzingis problem that could go a few different directions. Porzingis is out indefinitely while dealing with an undisclosed autoimmune disease, and with the possibility of retirement on the table, Golden State is said to be open to just about every option.
That includes a trade, even if the market figures to be thin. Porzingis’ expiring contract, along with added incentives, could be enough to draw a deal together, and one team being mentioned as a possible landing spot is the Memphis Grizzlies.
“As far as potential teams to be in the mix for a Porzingis trade, keep a close eye on the Grizzlies. This is a rebuilding team in the Western Conference with a lead executive in Zach Kleiman, who has already proven he’s always willing to take on contracts for future first-round picks,” wrote Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints.
“This offseason, Memphis did sign Quinten Post to a three-year, $30 million offer sheet that the Warriors didn’t match, and the final two years of his deal are non-guaranteed. Perhaps there is some type of deal the Warriors could make to bring Post back in favor of Porzingis once he becomes trade-eligible in December.”
If Porzingis doesn’t recover in time, the Warriors are facing three broad outcomes. He could retire and leave his $20 million salary on the books for the rest of the season.
They could waive him and get nothing back for a $20 million asset. Or they could find a trade that brings in a player who can help right away.
That’s where Quinten Post comes in. The 7-foot big man might not be the flashiest target, but Golden State knows what it gets with him.
He played 67 games last season and averaged 7.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.4 steals and 0.5 blocks while shooting 44.0% from the field. He was a steady presence in Steve Kerr’s rotation and a good fit in the room.
A return to San Francisco would also come at a friendlier price, with Post set to make about $8.5 million per year. If the Warriors could swap Porzingis for him, that would look like a clean solution. The question is whether Memphis would be willing to play along.
The Grizzlies are in rebuild mode and weren’t expected to push for contention anyway. If they can land more picks and take on an expiring contract, the logic is there. For now, it remains only a possibility, but Memphis is one of the few teams that could help Golden State out of a tough spot.
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What makes it linger is not just the criticism itself, but the way it split opinion right away. Warriors veterans backed Lendeborgs stance, and even with the rookie acknowledging his comments may have gone too far, he also made clear he is not interested in changing who he is. For a Grizzlies team that knows how quickly an offhand moment can become a conference-wide talking point, this is the kind of noise that tends to stick around a little longer than anyone expects. [Read more 🡒]
Grizzlies Win Clearly Got Under The Warriors Skin
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Golden State is now 0-2 to open the season, and the timing is not ideal with Phoenix up next on the schedule. Currys workload is already a talking point, and the Warriors will have to sort through both the sting of this loss and the challenge of getting themselves right before the road trip continues. [Read more 🡒]
Grizzlies Showed Real Fight Late But Fans Will Still Debate This Win
The Grizzlies found a way to outlast Golden State 111-108, and the closing stretch had the kind of edge that can reshape an early-season mood. Memphis turned a messy night into a victory with a 17-0 burst late in the fourth quarter, getting big plays from Cam Boozer, Zach Edey and Ty Jerome, while Boozer piled up 25 points, 13 rebounds and 6 assists and Jerome added 28 points and 5 assists.
Isaiah Stewart also made his Memphis debut, giving the group some defensive help even though the offense never really came around for him. The box score still had plenty for Memphis to clean up, especially with 25 turnovers, but the Grizzlies also forced 19 of their own and showed enough fight late to leave plenty of debate around what this win says about them moving forward. [Read more 🡒]