Golden State Warriors fans have long criticized the franchise's reluctance to follow the growing NBA trend of size and skill at multiple positions, particularly at center where the team has previously had the likes of Kevon Looney and Trayce Jackson-Davis (both 6'9"), while also playing a 6'6" Draymond Green as a small-ball five for heavy periods.
Kristaps Porzingis may not have been the absolute ideal target for the Warriors, but simply getting a player standing at 7'2" is a sensational way to help solve a lack of size that's been evident for years.
Kristaps Porzingis can help solve Warriors' size issues on the interior
Since the start of the 2020-21 season, Golden State have, quite incredibly, only had one seven-footer on their roster in all the years since. Quinten Post stands at exactly 7'0" tall and has been a surprise development for the Warriors since being taken 52nd overall at the 2024 NBA Draft.
But while Post has taken genuine strides on the defensive end in his second season, he's still vastly inexperienced and there remain question marks on his stature as a long-term rotation player going forward.
In Porzingis, Golden State now have not only someone who's the tallest player they've had on their roster in a long time, but also one who uses that length to be a genuine rim protecter and shot-blocker in a way Post simply hasn't yet moulded into.
Sure, Porzingis won't necessarily bring an interior scoring threat that the Warriors desperately need in the wake of Jimmy Butler's injury, having preferred to live out on the perimeter where he uses his length to shoot over defenders with ease, culminating in an efficient 36.6% from 3-point range for his career on over five attempts per game.
But what he can do is become the genuine shot-blocker Golden State have lacked since the days of JaVale McGee, and before him Andrew Bogut. Porzingis averages nearly two blocks per game in his career, and it will be a refreshing sight to see the Warriors possess a player who can roam around the paint and who should form an excellent defensive combination with Green in the front court.
However, the word 'should' is just that. This is all in theory when, in reality, Porzingis is lucky to be on the floor 50% of the time. His injury and health issues are well discussed, and is exactly what makes this feel like an underwhelming trade in a desperate situation.
But as much as the Warriors needed more, particularly in the wake of Butler's injury, there should still be some intrigue and excitement over what having a 7'2" rim-protecting, veteran stretch big could look like over the remainder of the season.