The Golden State Warriors undeniably need to make a splash move at the upcoming trade deadline. At least if they want to vault themselves into championship contention this season.
Although they have played slightly better as of late, this team very obviously needs an additional impact scorer who can complement the gravity of the aging Stephen Curry. With the benefit of Jonathan Kuminga's contract, Golden State will likely be one of the most active and heavily-rumored buyers over the next couple of weeks.
They have already been linked to Michael Porter Jr. of the Brooklyn Nets, and it seems as though those talks could gain traction very soon. Yet former NBA executive and current columnist for The Athletic, John Hollinger, sees financial and roster issues that could make such a move ultimately disastrous.
John Hollinger believes that a Michael Porter Jr. move would not be enough to move the needle for the Warriors
Hollinger explained his viewpoint in his recent guest appearance on The Athletic's NBA Daily Show:
"Are they okay going forward having Porter at $40 [million], and Steph at his money, and Draymond at his money, and Jimmy at his money?... Porter's good, but he's not at that level where he's going to move the needle that much if you're basically an average team."John Hollinger
In one sense, the Warriors have enough tradeable pieces to make a move for a player like Porter. With Kuminga's contract routed to a third, non-Brooklyn team, throwing in Moses Moody and Buddy Hield should get them there, as Hollinger points out.
On the other hand, Golden State already has almost $140 million locked down for their trio of Curry, Jimmy Butler, and Draymond Green over this season and next. Adding Porter would bring the total to $180 million just for the top four players on the roster.
The Warriors have both a talent and a depth issue. It's impossible to address both with a singular trade.
Hollinger also makes a good point in questioning the impact Porter would ultimately have.
He's having an excellent season in Brooklyn, averaging 25.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 3.4 assists while knocking down over 40% of his shots from 3-point range. But could he reach the same level of touches and efficiency in Golden State's ecosystem?
And, even if he could, would an additional scorer be enough to take the Warriors over the top?
Golden State needs offense more than anything else, and the Porter move would make sense in that context. Yet, as Hollinger points out, it presents a risk that could cause a dismal end to the team's current championship window if it plays out poorly.