The Golden State Warriors have been linked with Michael Porter Jr. ahead of the trade deadline. In some ways, this might seem like a necessary move were the option to become available.
He's had a resurgent year as the primary offensive weapon for the Brooklyn Nets, averaging 25.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 3.3 assists while shooting 41% from 3-point range. He has played his way into becoming a hot commodity in this year's trade market.
The Warriors, therefore, could consider trading for a player having a career year in Brooklyn in an effort to supplement their offense. Sound familiar?
Golden State attempted this last season with Dennis Schröder, and the move failed spectacularly. While Schröder and Porter are very different players, the Warriors must learn from the mistakes they made last season, instead seeking out a piece with a more clean and obvious fit at the trade deadline.
Michael Porter Jr. might be undergoing a career resurgence, but the Warriors need to learn from past mistakes
After Schröder averaged 18.4 points, three rebounds, and 6.6 assists while knocking down 38.7% from 3-point range through his first 23 games in Brooklyn, the hope in trading for him was that he could be a bona-fide secondary scorer and ball-handler next to or behind Stephen Curry.
This dream was never realized. While Golden State's trade for Schröder was not necessarily a complete failure (his salary ultimately enabled them to make the move for Jimmy Butler), it was clear that he never quite found his place on the Warrior's roster.
There will be debate over the coming weeks concerning whether Porter's uptick in production is a real step forward or merely a product of his increased usage.
While he is scoring at a much higher clip, his usage percentage (29.9) is up almost 10 points from last season while his effective field-goal percentage (59.8) is actually down a tick from his career numbers.
The Warriors need additional shooting. However, there are a number of players that can operate successfuly in a vacuum in Brooklyn, capitalizing upon their place as the focal point of the offense.
Golden State acquired one of these pieces last season, and he failed to integrate into the specific scheme that the team runs around Curry.
With their championship window rapidly closing, the Warriors cannot afford to make the wrong move at the trade deadline. Porter, therefore, represents too high of a risk for them to repeat past mistakes.