While Kristaps Porzingis has looked better and better for the Golden State Warriors as of late, it's still an open question as to whether the team will choose to bring him back in free agency. Ultimately, the question will come down entirely to Stephen Curry.
Unfortunately, Curry has been out since January with a knee issue. He was shooting during warm-ups with the team ahead of Wednesday night's game against the Boston Celtics, but it still seems like his return is far from imminent.
Porzingis needs Curry to returrn if he wants to stay with Warriors
While Porzingis has been playing quite well recently, if the Warriors do not see him and Curry on the court together at some point, then it will be very difficult to bring the big man back in free agency.
The Warriors acquired Porzingis at the trade deadline thinking that his size and abilities could help the Warriors with spacing issues and finally give them a guy who can be a presence at and around the rim. He's not been on the court enough to fully evaluate, but if he never gets to play with Curry, then it's hard to see a world in which the Warriors give him millions of dollars in the offseason.
The most likely scenario for Porzingis remaining with Golden State is if Curry comes back and the Warriors build some momentum with both players on the floor. Maybe if they go into the Play-In on a hot streak and win a game or maybe even two to sneak into the playoffs, that would be enough to convince the Warriors that it's worth bringing him back.
Still, there is a lot of risk in bringing back Porzingis no matter what. He's had issues staying on the court his entire career and the Warriors are an aged, injury-prone team as it is. Maybe if the offense really clicks with both him and Steph out there it would be hard to say no, but there is still a lot of risk.
The Warriors also cannot make the mistake of re-signing Porzingis just so the Jonathan Kuminga trade does not look completely worthless. That could compound a mistake, though arguably an inevitable one since Kuminga and the Warriors both needed a fresh start, into an even bigger one.
Golden State should really only bring him back if they feel that Porzingis and Curry jive together on the floor and that having the big man can help the team win next season.