The Warriors are stuck in a tough spot if they want to swing a meaningful trade involving Kristaps Porzingis, and the numbers are already working against them.
Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints reports that Golden State explored the market on Porzingis, with the Bucks coming up as a possible landing spot. The fit makes sense on paper, especially with Myles Turner as a natural positional match.
But Milwaukee is not believed to be interested in Porzingis, and the deal math doesn’t line up cleanly anyway. Turner is set to make $26.6MM this season and $83.6MM over the next three years, while Porzingis carries a $20MM cap hit this year and next, with only $3MM of his 2027/28 salary guaranteed.
That creates a real squeeze for the Warriors, who are operating above the first tax apron and can’t take back more salary than they send out. To bring in a player making more than Porzingis this season, they would need to add at least one more player to the outgoing package. That gets harder when several Warriors remain ineligible to be traded until at least December 15.
One name that would help the salary side is Moses Moody, who makes $12.5MM. But Siegel says Golden State would prefer to hold onto the injured wing and was only willing to move him this offseason if it brought back a “significant” roster upgrade.
Siegel also notes that Jimmy Butler, who is recovering from a torn ACL, is not viewed as a likely trade candidate for Golden State this season. Sources around the league have downplayed the possibility of the 37-year-old being dealt.
Porzingis’ health remains part of the larger conversation. ESPN reported that he was “seriously contemplating his future in basketball” as he continues to deal with recurring symptoms from postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, or POTS, an autoimmune condition.
Porzingis confirmed the POTS diagnosis last October. Even with the limited 32 combined appearances he made last season with Atlanta and Golden State, the Warriors were optimistic about his health when they signed him to a two-year, $40MM extension over the summer.
League sources tell Siegel they never seriously considered letting him walk in free agency.
The Grizzlies are another team Siegel says should be watched in the Porzingis conversation down the line. Memphis has a $28.9MM traded player exception and intends to use it to add draft assets by absorbing an unwanted contract, according to league sources. Siegel also raises the possibility of a deal involving former Warriors big man Quinten Post once he becomes trade-eligible in December.
Elsewhere, Karl-Anthony Towns is reportedly willing to go below his max in a new Knicks extension. Towns’ max would be $276MM over four years, while New York is said to be offering around $200MM over four seasons.
Siegel hears the six-time All-Star big man is rumored to be seeking somewhere in the range of $225-240MM over four years, which would work out to $55-60MM annually. Siegel adds that “many” people around the league expect the sides to eventually reach a new deal.
If they don’t, the expectation is that Towns would decline his $61MM option for 2027/28 and reach free agency next summer.
Magic guard Anthony Black is also on the radar league-wide. Rival front offices believe he’ll clear $20MM per year as a restricted free agent in 2027, Siegel reports, and Orlando’s rookie scale extension offer to the former sixth overall pick “didn’t come close” to that mark.
His extension window closed Monday evening. Siegel says teams are watching the Magic closely this season because of their pricey payroll, especially maximum-salary forwards Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner.
As for Dalton Knecht, the Lakers had conversations with the Jazz, Bulls and Bucks before ultimately waiving the former first-round pick on Monday, according to Siegel’s sources. Milwaukee reportedly wanted multiple second-round picks or a first-round swap in a deal for Knecht and Jericho Sims, but Los Angeles couldn’t make the move one-for-one and didn’t want to give up those assets just to move Knecht’s salary. After clearing waivers on Wednesday, Knecht signed a two-way contract with the Knicks on Friday.
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