Ahead of the NBA trade deadline this season, the Golden State Warriors were seen as a fit for several potential big men. Nikola Vucevic had been linked to the franchise for a while, but his recent injury shows the front office was smart to get Kristaps Porzingis instead.
Vucevic was with the Chicago Bulls for years -- a team who was rumored to have interest in Jonathan Kuminga, and therefore made some sense when imagining a deal that would have sent the young forward in exchange for the veteran center.
Warriors made the right call trading for Porzingis over Vucevic
That’s now how things ultimately worked out, with the Bulls trading their Vucevic to the Boston Celtics, while the Warriors wound up trading Kuminga to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for Porzingis.
The hope was that Porzingis could remain healthy, something he’s always struggled with, and provide the Warriors the size and spacing they've been sorely missing. Unfortunately, he's only played in two games since he was acquired, yet the Warriors now look smart for landing him rather than Vucevic.
Recently, Vucevic broke his finger which will keep him out for about a month. It’s a tough break for Boston as they try to improve their standing in the East. Vucevic scored 28 points in 25 minutes in late February and looked to be a solid acquisition for the Celtics, but injuries can often upend things.
Vucevic is out but Porzingis is finally seeming to get healthy, returning to suit up and play 23 minutes against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday. He had nine points, five rebounds and five assists, suggesting that if he can stay on the court -- which is a big if considering the mysterious injury he’s been dealing with -- then the trade for him may end up looking better than a potential one for Vucevic.
Obviously, whether the Warriors can retain Porzingis will be part of that equation as well. He is set to be a free agent and if he goes elsewhere in the offseason, it will look like the Warriors traded Kuminga for nothing. Vucevic is also set to be a free agent, meaning that either way the Warriors would have been taking a risk.
But at least for this season, Porzingis now seems to have been the better big man to get since he is getting healthier, while Vucevic is set for a lengthy stint on the sidelines.