There's no doubt that Kristaps Porzingis can add a much-needed element to the Golden State Warriors, but the health concerns with the veteran center are inescapable and have been for years.
Steve Kerr reflected that sentiment in his first comments since Wednesday's bombshell trade, with the Warriors sending Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for Porzingis.
Steve Kerr hopes to have Kristaps Porzingis healthy upon arrival to Warriors
Porzingis appeared in just 17 games with the Hawks after being acquired from the Boston Celtics, having dealt with ongoing complications of an illness and more recently achilles tendinitis that's seen him out since January 7.
Speaking to the media before Tuesday's game against the Phoenix Suns, Kerr stated his hope that Rick Celebrini and the medical staff can get Porzingis physically right given the 30-year-old's potential impact on the team.
"There's a hope that we can help him really get right. When he's right, he's a hell of a player. We're looking at a guy who really fits what we need -- size, space, shooting, rim protection. Every team needs that, but we've always needed that. Since I've been here, we've never really had a player quite like him," Kerr said.
Here is Steve Kerr on the Kristaps Porzingis addition. He said Rick Celebrini and the team’s medical staff did their “due diligence” and that they wouldn’t have made trade had they not believed they could keep Porzingis healthy. pic.twitter.com/qasdB35fzd
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) February 6, 2026
That word hope is what all Golden State fans are thinking in the wake of the trade. The idea that the Warriors can get Porzingis consistently healthy is hopeful rather than any real belief, with the former fourth overall pick having played more than 57 games just once in the last 10 seasons.
What will make the Warriors any different to his past stops? Do they have some kind of irrational belief based on the fact they got a relatively healthy season from Otto Porter Jr. in their 2022 championship season?
Kerr is right though. If they can get Porzingis healthy, he could be a major addition to a Golden State team that haven't had his level of size or skill from the center position throughout the entire Kerr tenure.
There's little questioning Porzingis' production when he's actually on the floor, having averaged at least 19.5 points and 6.6 rebounds in each of the previous seven seasons. Even in his 17 games with the Hawks this season, the 7'2" big man averaged over 17 points and five rebounds in less than 25 minutes.
The Warriors will be hoping something about their organization can bring a change of fortune for Porzingis, particularly if he's to re-sign with the franchise and remain beyond the end of this season.