Now that the dust has settled on the Kristaps Porzingis trade at the deadline, it's time for the Golden State Warriors to take stock.
In part, the Porzingis trade was a move simply to unload Jonathan Kuminga's contract, which had become undesirable as the season had worn on. It does present a healthy amount of upside, however.
Porzingis is likely to make his debut with the team pretty quickly after the All-Star Break. Although this season is a bit of a lost cause, he has just under 30 games to prove himself as the center the Warriors need. If he does, they could bring him back on a cheaper contract for next season.
LeBron James, on the most recent episode of his Mind The Game podcast, believes that Porzingis could prove to be the perfect fit for Golden State. Yet he qualified that statement with one important caveat: one that every Warriors fan must hope and pray for over the coming weeks.
Porzingis needs to stay on the court.
LeBron James says the quiet part out loud about Porzingis's health concerns
In James's conversation with Steve Nash, the topic of Porzingis's fit with the Warriors came up. Both agreed almost immediately that the Latvian native is, in many ways, the ideal solution to the team's center woes. At 7'2", he is both a capable rim-protector and an interior scorer. Coupled with his reliable perimeter shooting, these things make for a potent combination.
Yet James echoed the concerns of Warriors fans everywhere in emphasizing the importance of Porzingis's availability:
"Health is wealth. Obviously Kristaps is definitely a perfect fit for Golden State: the way they play, their style of play... His health is obviously most important when it comes to that."LeBron James
Golden State's coaching staff has made their belief in their ability to keep Porzingis healthy clear. But his availability, no matter how you spin it, is a major concern.
He's played in more than 70 games in his career just once, in his rookie season with the Dallas Mavericks. Since that time, he's averaged just 44.6 games over 10 seasons. If you exclude the 2018-19 season he missed with a torn ACL, that number rises to just above 49.
He's dealt with POTS, a debilitating chronic illness, over the past couple of seasons. Coupled with the issues he's had with the ligaments and tendons in legs, it's a concerning mix for the Warriors.
If Porzingis is able to get healthy and play an important role in Stephen Curry's final seasons with the team, it would be a major success story.
James's concerns are more than justified. All we can do is hope that Golden State's gamble pays off.