The Golden State Warriors' attempts to trade Kristaps Porzingis have officially taken on a different complexion.
It was reported this morning, by Shams Charania at ESPN via X, that the Warriors have started withholding the payments on Porzingis' contract. Once Porzingis left training camp, it was a move that was always on the table for Golden State—although it likely represented the burning of a bridge that couldn't be rebuild. The Warriors have no choice but to move Porzingis, and the earlier they do it, the better chance they have of flipping that piece into an even larger trade at the deadline.
Now, Golden State could certainly hold onto that contract in search of a deal using Porzingis' $20 million salary for a major addition as more players become available. But we saw them use this strategy in 2024-25 when De'Anthony Melton tore his ACL, shipping him off to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Dennis Schröder, who was later flipped in the Jimmy Butler deal.
In that light, it's time to start thinking about potential trade partners, and Jake Fischer, reporting via The Stein Line, highlighted the fact that the Warriors have already expressed interest to the Chicago Bulls in a trade involving small-ball center Jalen Smith.
It's an intriguing proposition, to say the least.
A Jalen Smith-Kristaps Porzingis trade would fill a Warriors need—but is it a feasible option?
Let's analyze this first from a financial perspective. This is already going to be a tough market for the Warriors on Porzingis—they're reportedly hesitant to take on any salary that stretches beyond this year in a trade, and the primary incentive for any team looking to take on his contract would be to move off of long-term salary in exchange for a deal that's essentially expiring.
Smith is on the final year of his three-year, $27 million deal, and as such, he represents one of Chicago's prime trade candidates this season. That being said, the Bulls still have nearly $40 million between them and the first apron, and it would be entirely possible for them to swap Smith's $9 million salary for Porzingis' $20 million, assuming they were able to retrieve some draft capital in return.
Smith's potential fit with the Warriors is intriguing as well. While the Warriors would, ideally, be able to gain a starting-caliber center, that doesn't seem like the type of move that's on the table right now. But the small-ball lineup with Draymond Green at the five spot has actually looked feasible over the past few games, and adding a center who can moonlight as a starter while providing consistent rotational flexibility to the team may very well be their second-best outcome.
Smith has played well for the Bulls so far this year, starting at center in Nic Claxton's absence and showing some real chemistry with Josh Giddey running the offense. He's averaged 12.1 points, 8.6 rebounds, and two assists while shooting 27.8% from beyond the arc this season. There's certainly some additional upside there, moreover, for him as a floor spacer—he shot 37.3% from 3-point range last season and was a 42.4% shooter with the Indiana Pacers in 2023-24.
If the Warriors don't feel that Charles Bassey has cemented himself as a truly viable rotational center, bringing in Smith to split minutes with Al Horford off the bench would be a feasible move.
Fischer highlights one major concern for Chicago here. The NBA's new Draft Lottery rules have disincentivized tanking, and any team, including the Bulls, likely wouldn't want to make a move that would make them materially worse at this point in the season. Chicago is currently 1-6, and although Claxton is returning from injury, they only have Zach Collins in the fold as an additional backup center.
More importantly, though, this is a season where Chicago will be looking to maximize its trade assets in order to accelerate its freshly-minted rebuild. Smith isn't going to be the belle of the ball at the trade deadline, but do the Bulls believe they could get more for him than a dead contract and a couple of second-round picks? Chicago has already shown the value it places on second-round selections under new lead executive Bryson Graham by moving off of both of their picks for close to nothing in the 2026 NBA Draft.
For now, then, this is simply an intriguing possibility for the Warriors. But there are some questions that will need to be answered before we have any idea if it's a truly feasible move.
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