The Golden State Warriors have finally granted Stephen Curry the wish of playing alongside an offensive-minded veteran big man, having traded for Kristaps Porzingis in a deal with the Atlanta Hawks before the mid-season deadline.
Porzingis might be the most offensively-skilled center that Curry has ever played with, but it comes far too late as the 2x MVP nears his 38th birthday, and it's importance feels far less significance when the Warriors have Jimmy Butler on the sidelines with a season-ending knee injury.
Stephen Curry-Kristaps Porzingis pairing comes far too late
The Warriors will have a new offensive threat in Porzingis, with the 30-year-old having averaged 19.6 points per game for his career on an efficient 36.6% from 3-point range. The Curry-Porzingis pick-and-pop will add an extra wrinkle to the equation, while the latter's sheer size makes him an interior and lob threat even if he's not overly athletic.
Golden State have so often had defensive-minded big men in their starting lineup, from the likes of Andrew Bogut, to Zaza Pachulia, and more recently Kevon Looney and the now-departed Trayce Jackson-Davis.
While they've won championships with such a method, it's put a heavy burden on Curry in recent years and especially when you consider Draymond Green's rise in offensive limitations as a scorer/shooter.
As much as Porzingis might be able to help alleviate those issues now, it's a real shame that it's come in 2026 and not a few years earlier. In particular, it would have been nice if Golden State had targeted Porzingis in their 2023 trade with the Washington Wizards, rather than acquiring Chris Paul in the deal that sent out Jordan Poole.
Between that period and now, the Warriors have faced ongoing uncertainty over the starting center position. Sure, Porzingis' injury and health concerns would have retained some problems in regard to that, but at least Golden State would have had a bonafide starting big man when he was healthy.
Butler's injury also brings a huge level of disappointment in this Porzingis acqusition. Had the 6x All-Star been healthy and playing right now, then perhaps the Warriors could have been a sneaky threat if things broke right with Porzingis. Yet now, even if Golden State get the Latvian healthy, it's unlikely to make them a playoff threat with Butler on the sidelines.
Seeing Curry play next to a skilled big man like Porzingis is going to be fun and interesting, but unfortunately at this point it's not going to make the kind of difference the 2x MVP or the Warriors need to be a serious threat in the Western Conference.