The Golden State Warriors, among their many pressing issues to deal with this offseason, desperately need to address their center situation.
Kristaps Porzingis, whom they acquired at the trade deadline for Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield, is an unrestricted free agent. Al Horford has a player option, and it's unclear what decision he'll make as he nears the end of his career. Even Quinten Post is a restricted free agent, and his future with Golden State is uncertain.
Thankfully, it seems as though there's momentum building between Porzingis and Golden State on a new deal, as reported by Anthony Slater at ESPN. The Warriors have held fast to their commitment to re-signing Porzingis this offseason.
But Golden State also has the 11th overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, and they certainly will have a chance to add to their center rotation at that juncture. Having some sort of internal assurance on Porzingis's future at that point, therefore, could open up an intriguing prospect for the Warriors— Hannes Steinbach out of the University of Washington.
Kristaps Porzingis' presence as a floor-spacer could make Hannes Steinbach a more reasonable choice for Warriors
At this point, unless a team swoops in with a long-term deal for Porzingis, the Warriors seem to be the far-and-away favorites to have his services heading into 2026-27, and rightfully so. Golden State clearly had some sort of plan to keep Porzingis on the court last season. Although Porzingis wasn't his most effective during his 15 games with the Warriors, he still averaged 16.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists during that stint.
He shot just 31.1% from beyond the arc, though. If that improves next season (as history indicates it will), Porzingis' viability as an offensive contributor will skyrocket.
The Warriors have long sought out a rim-protecting, floor-spacing center to pair with Stephen Curry. That, in part, is what makes the fit between a prospect like Steinbach and the Warriors dubious.
Steinbach isn't known as a perimeter shooter. But he's perhaps the most special rebounding prospect in this class, using his size, intensity, and strong footwork to seal off his man on the defensive end and chase long rebounds on the offensive end. He's also not all that limited offensively. He doesn't have much of a jumper, but his interior scoring game is highly impressive, marked by solid footwork and a fluidity in the paint. He projects long-term as a center at the NBA level.
There will be teams who are seeking out a starting center in this class, especially if they can get their hands on Aday Mara out of Michigan. But with Porzingis in place, the Warriors could be more apt to take a swing on a prospect like Steinbach. Porzingis' perimeter shooting could leave room for Steinbach, who shot 34% on 53 total attempts during his lone college season, to continue developing his jumper.
Golden State couldn't afford to hand the keys to Steinbach just yet. But over the next couple of seasons, the presence of Porzingis (and perhaps even Horford) could leave ample room for Steinbach to develop into the prospect many analysts think he could be.
As redundant as it might seem, therefore, the Warriors' plans to re-sign one center could open the door for another to enter the roster.
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