The Golden State Warriors swung a big trade with the Atlanta Hawks for Kristaps Porzingis in exchange for Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield at the trade deadline. The deal has not looked great given Kuminga's solid play and the fact that Porzingis has already dealt with a mystery illness.
NBA TV just dealt the Warriors an embarrassing blow by making the decision to air the Hawks vs. Houston Rockets game on Friday, instead of their matchup with Pistons in Detroit.
Warriors flexed out of NBA TV game reflects poorly on Porzingis trade
One can't really blame NBA TV for deciding to air the Hawks-Rockets game over the Warriors-Pistons one. Objectively, the Hawks game is a more interesting matchup. Atlanta have won 10 games in a row and are on a roll in the Eastern Conference going against a Kevin Durant-led Houston team.
That's a better matchup than a Warriors team ravaged by injuries going against the best team in the East. Perhaps Golden State can surprise everyone and get a win, but that just doesn't seem super likely.
From the NBA's perspective, Kuminga's Hawks are a more interesting draw than Porzingis's Warriors. Unfortunately for Golden State, Porzingis really is the team's centerpiece right now with Stephen Curry out. He just had a 20-point game against the Minnesota Timberwolves and had a 30-point game against the Washington Wizards, but the Warriors are still struggling to win games.
At this point, it's tough to say which team has won the trade. The Hawks are clearly winning the trade right now, but things could still change. A lot of that will depend on whether the Warriors are able to bring back Porzingis in free agency.
That's far from a slam dunk though. If Porzingis struggles to stay on the court, it will be tough for Golden State to commit a large amount of money to him. If he signs elsewhere, then it will sort of feel like the Warriors gave up Kuminga for nothing.
The Warriors didn't have much of a choice. The situation with Kuminga had reached the point of no return, and Golden State had to try to get something for him with Porzingis the best option on the table given the front office didn't need to give up picks or take on long-term money.
Still, NBA TV choosing Kuminga's game over the Warriors is a bit of a slap in the face, and can't help but make the Warriors look back on the trade with a hint of regret.