The Golden State Warriors are exploring trade avenues for Kristaps Porzingis according to Shams Charania on Wednesday, but the delicate nature of the situation may force the front office to push another player out the door.
The reality is that Porzingis, even with only $3 million of his deal guaranteed for next season, holds little to no value. That means the Warriors may have to include another player to beef up a deal for someone they want, both from a value perspective and more notaby as matching salary.
Kristaps Porzingis trade could force Warriors to move another player
The reality is there's no center out there making exactly $20 million who is available, and who Golden State can acquire by simply attaching draft assets to Porzingis. There might be a player making less than that who they could do that for, but then they're not likely to be the starting-calibre center the Warriors need.
That kind of player is almost certainly going to be making more, and therefore the front office will have to include another player who they'd probably prefer not to push out the door. That's the sacrifice, along with draft capital, the Warriors will have to make in order to at least try and dig themselves out of the hole they've created for themselves.
Take Myles Turner for example. He's already been viewed as a prominent option and for good reason. He's surely available in talks with a rebuilding Bucks team, Golden State have had interest in the past, and he's on a bad enough, longer term contract that they might not have to give up too much draft capital (if any) to acquire him.
The problem is Turner also makes $26.6 million. If the Warriors wanted to make a move with the Bucks in the short-term, before free agents become trade-eligible in December, they'd have to almost certainly include Moses Moody.
Warriors might have to move Moses Moody in Kristaps Porzingis trade
Golden State won't want to do that, particularly given Moody could return earlier than initially expected from his torn patellar tendon injury -- though that also helps in terms of his value to rival teams.
Moody is now one of the longest tenured players on the team, and giving him up now would also be at a sell-low point. In an ideal world, the former 14th overall pick would return, become the player he was again and more while still being on a team-friendly deal.
But no one outside Stephen Curry, and perhaps the emerging Yaxel Lendeborg, is untouchable. The Warriors may have to move on from Moody or Gui Santos or another young player they'd prefer to keep. Heck, if they want to renew some interest in Anthony Davis or another max-level center, they'll have to be more willing to trade Jimmy Butler.
This is a disastrous situation and the only viable way out may be to make a move that the Warriors simply wouldn't otherwise make if not for these circumstances.
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