The Golden State Warriors have a big decision to make with Kristaps Porzingis in the coming weeks, but it could be taken out of their hands if argaubly their biggest rival comes calling with an enticing offer to the veteran center.
The Warriors don't particularly have a close rival right now, yet the San Antonio Spurs' status as the Western Conference champions certainly makes them the biggest competitor by default.
Less than 24 hours after losing to the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals, the Spurs were floated as a potential suitor for Porzingis in what would be a wild center duo of he and rising French phenom Victor Wembanyama.
Spurs floated as suitor to steal Kristaps Porzingis from Warriors
The Spurs do still have Luke Kornet under contract for $10.5 million next season, but outside a memorable block in the fourth-quarter of Game 7 in the Conference Finals, it was a fairly underwhelming playoff campaign from the 30-year-old.
Wembanyama led all Spurs players as a +196 in cumulative plus-minus during the playoffs, while Kornet ranked dead last as a -35. For even greater context, Carter Bryant's +25 was the second-lowest of any consistent rotation player for Mitch Johnson.
That's led Sam Quinn of CBS Sports to propose Porzingis to the Spurs on the mid-level exception as his favorite free agency fit of the entire offseason, suggesting they could manage the Latvian throughout the regular season and then wheel him out for the playoffs.
My single favorite free agent fit this offseason is Kristaps Porzingis to the Spurs for the MLE.
— Sam Quinn (@SamQuinnCBS) June 14, 2026
They can keep him on ice for 82 games and the first round and then just bust him out for the 10-12 Wemby rest minutes they need when the real games start. https://t.co/Ku4KBhiVku
Porzingis may have his detractors and may be one of the most injury-prone players in the league, but signing him to be a backup center would be a massive win for the Spurs while simultaneously dealing a blow to another team in their conference.
Warriors have clear path to keeping Kristaps Porzingis from Spurs
Fortunately for Golden State, they can still offer Porzingis two major elements that could prevent San Antonio from acquiring the former All-Star. They have his bird rights which allows them to re-sign him at a number far more significant than what the Spurs can offer, perhaps even upwards of $20 million if it's a one-year deal they could then use as a trade piece during the middle of the season if things go south.
Perhaps more importantly, the Warriors can still offer Porzingis a starting role and really have little means to replacing him should he depart. Sure, the Spurs could flirt with double-big combinations of Wembanyama and Porzingis, but the latter would still become a bench player and may not be ready to take on that demotion quite yet.
Still, the Spurs' stature as conference champions and clear path to further success could be enough to sway Porzingis whose roots at the Warriors stem back only a few months.
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