As disappointing as it is, it certainly seems like Kristaps Porzingis' time with the Golden State Warriors has run its course.
It was always going to be a risk hinging the ceiling of this roster on Porzingis' availability. Although he largely looked healthy and productive during his stint with the team towards the end of last season, the risks were going to be there no matter what. Now that Porzingis is out indefinitely as he deals with continued health issues, the fact of the matter is this.
With Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody out until at least mid-season, the Warriors simply can't afford to give another roster spot to a player who's categorically unavailable. Moving Porzingis needs to be this team's top priority, then, as the regular season enters full swing.
It's going to take draft capital to move off of his deal, and it may very well be impossible to find a true replacement for Porzingis on the market at this juncture. As Sam Quinn outlined on the recent episode of the Third Apron podcast, the Charlotte Hornets may have enough contractual juice to make such a trade worth the Warriors' while.
The Hornets may be the perfect Kristaps Porzingis trade partner for the Warriors at this point in the season
It's important to note here that moving Porzingis' $20 million salary would immediately hamstring what the Warriors are able to accomplish at the trade deadline. They would still have Jimmy Butler's $55 million salary and Draymond Green's $27.6 million contract, but Porzingis would provide some extra flexibility there that could come in handy depending on who Golden State ultimately wants to pursue.
But let's assume, for the moment, that the Warriors are intent on trading Porzingis now and bringing back a rotational player before things get unsustainably thin. Charlotte has some solid options in that regard.
The Warriors aren't going to be able to grab a center from Charlotte, but that's an unlikely outcome in a Porzingis trade anyways. Instead, they'd be able to grab Grayson Allen, Royce O'Neale, or potentially Grant Williams in a deal with the Hornets.
Things are made easier by the fact that Porzingis' deal, even with a player option, is only guaranteed for $3 million next season. If Charlotte were willing to take that on in exchange for, say, a pair of second-round picks, moving on from a piece like Allen (who has a player option for next season) would be immediately beneficial to them in terms of cap savings and their future asset haul. As Quinn notes, Charlotte took three second-round picks in exchange for taking on Dorian Finney-Smith's contract this offseason.
From that list, Allen likely makes the most sense for the Warriors. He's a career 40% 3-point shooter and a sufficient self-creator that could provide some depth to Golden State's backcourt, especially if Melton continues to struggle from beyond the arc. Across 51 games last season with the Phoenix Suns, Allen averaged 16.5 points, three rebounds, and 3.8 assists while knocking down 34.9% of his attempts from beyond the arc. Allen's salary, at just over $18 million for this season, also matches most closely with Porzingis'.
The Hornets have the flexibility to provide the Warriors with a cheaper player in O'Neale or Williams in this sort of deal. The key word here, though, is useful contributor. O'Neale still has some upside as a 3-and-D wing, but Williams has consistently dealt with health issues over the past few seasons. If the Warriors are going to make a move for either of those players, they need to be absolutely sure of their role and fit in this rotation.
Even so, the Hornets seem like the team that's best positioned to take on Porzingis' contract. That's a throughline that can't be ignored at this juncture in Golden State's season.
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