On Monday evening, NBA insider Marc Stein wrote for The Stein Line (subscription required) that the Golden State Warriors' plan when they acquired Kristaps Porziņġis was for the center to click with the medical staff and the team. And that the team would "then try to convince him to re-sign in the offseason at a more team-friendly number" than his current salary ($30.7 million).
As Stein noted, Porziņġis already said he's "clicked" with the team's medical staff, and he said he was looking forward to having a strong remainder of the season following the All-Star break. Unfortunately, he has played in only one game thus far due to illness.
The front office was thinking ahead about KP's looming unrestricted free agency before the trade. While he shouldn't command a deal with a $30 million annual salary, it's worth wondering if the Warriors should re-sign him at all, especially if he struggles to stay on the floor these next few weeks.
They may feel like they have no choice, though, particularly if Giannis Antetokounmpo is traded elsewhere.
Warriors traded for Porzingis with the hope of re-signing him
Porziņġis could help Golden State try to make it beyond the play-in tournament this season, assuming that is where the team ends up. Of course, Steph Curry's health will be the biggest factor in determining what the Warriors can do, but right behind him is KP.
Stein wrote that the trade for Porziņġis wasn't "made solely with this season in mind" since Jimmy Butler tore his ACL and changed everything, but that doesn't mean Golden State is waving the white flag. You have to try to take advantage of whatever you can still get with Curry, who will turn 38 in March.
Steve Kerr said after the trade that the team wouldn't have gone through with the deal if it didn't think Porziņġis would be healthy and consistently in the lineup. So far, that hasn't happened. Will it?
It's understandable why Golden State made the trade with the intention of keeping KP around, as when he's healthy, he's a great two-way big. The Warriors aren't used to having a center like him, but by the time the season ends, they may still not be used to it, since he may not be on the floor enough.
If KP is willing to take a significant pay cut in free agency, Golden State could keep him around. Perhaps that's what will happen, as other teams could be hesitant to overpay for a 30-year-old who has struggled to stay on the floor the past two years. He could stay with the Warriors, but if he does, his health could become yet another setback for a team desperately trying to win a title.