The Golden State Warriors are reportedly progressing towards a new deal with veteran center Kristaps Porzingis, while championship teammate Al Horford may also be nearing a return to the franchise on his $6 million player option.
Porzingis and Horford are clearly Golden State's two best centers on the roster, but bringing them back does pose the question of how the front office safeguard's itself from the injury and availability concerns that are present with the pair.
Warriors face tough question if Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford return
The Warriors will absolutely need a third big man, yet not a third-string one in the traditional sense. They need one who they'd feel comfortable playing 20-25 minutes per game, and one who could reliably start when required.
Golden State finished the season with Quinten Post and Charles Bassey, but while both have impressed at certain points, they're not quite proven enough to suggest the franchise would be comfortable with them in this scenario.
The issue remains on how you sell this role to an alternative player in free agency. Even if the minutes are there when Porzingis and/or Horford are inevitably injured or being managed, no player is going to be thrilled with instantly being demoted once those players return.
The Warriors also aren't likely to spend big on a third center, meaning there'll be no real financial incentive and that player will probably be on a minimum contract. It's a difficult problem to solve if the front office tries to do it in free agency, but perhaps there'll be an opportunity through another avenue.
Warriors could look to acquire another center through draft or trade
Golden State could draft Michigan big man Aday Mara if he's available at the 11th pick on Tuesday, giving them a solid trio of center options should Porzingis and Horford remain. At that point though you also risk halting Mara's development with the other two ahead of him.
The other scenario is to trade for another big man, giving that player little choice but to embrace the role and opportunity. New Orleans Pelicans center Yves Missi could be the ideal example of such a move as a young player on a cheap contract who's also reastically available on the market.
Whichever way the Warriors go, they need to find an answer. As much as Porzingis and Horford can still be quality players on the floor, you simply can't bank on their availability and expect them to play more than 55 games.
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