Opinion: Why the Warriors’ Trade for Kristaps Porzingis Won’t Solve the Team’s Problems

By Surina P '27

Note: Written on Saturday, February 7, 2026

On February 4th, 2026, the night before the NBA trade deadline, the Warriors dealt Jonathan Kuminga and team-favorite Buddy Hield to the Atlanta Hawks, receiving 7’2” Kristaps Porziņģis in return. Later that night, they also traded away one of their bigs, Trayce-Jackson-Davis, to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for a future second-round draft pick.

The Warriors’ parting with Jonathan Kuminga is no surprise. This mutual separation had been brewing for well over a year, and, in January, Kuminga requested to be traded. Kuminga, a power forward and the 7th pick in the 2021 NBA draft, entered the league with a lot of potential. One of the most athletic players in the NBA, many expected him to dominate on the court for the Warriors. Unfortunately, this was not the case. He had many flashes of greatness, demonstrating a strong ability to drive downhill, score, and even distribute the ball. For a while, it seemed that Kuminga could be the solution to the team’s search for a secondary scorer. However, ill-timed injuries, inconsistency with rebounding, fluctuating situational awareness, and questionable coaching decisions kept him out of a consistent role. In short, Jonathan Kuminga did not have the luxury of learning through mistake-making with the Warriors organization.

On the other hand, the addition of Porziņģis comes as somewhat of a surprise. There was much speculation that a trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo was in the works, and the Hawks were not rumored to be in pursuit of Kuminga. Though unexpected, the Warriors have required a more imposing interior presence for a while, a deficiency clearly exposed by the Minnesota Timberwolves’ overall paint dominance that helped them knock the Warriors out of the playoffs last season. Porziņģis, averaging  17.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.3 blocks per game, is considered a valuable defensive player. When he steps foot on the court for the Warriors, he can most definitely bolster the team’s interior defense. 

Here’s the issue: needing a solid center is far from the Warriors' only problem. With Jimmy Butler out for the season with a torn ACL, the Warriors need a reliable secondary scorer. They need someone who can consistently create shots, put pressure on defenders, and be the offensive focal point when Stephen Curry isn’t on the court. While Porziņģis can knock down threes and score in the post, he isn’t exactly a shot creator and is currently averaging the fewest points per game since his rookie season. Additionally, Porziņģis is dealing with an Achilles injury, which will keep him off the court until after the All-Star break (February 13-18). On top of that, Porziņģis has been unavailable much of the 2025-2026 season so far, navigating various illnesses, including POTS. This leaves the Warriors with a big question: will Porziņģis actually be healthy enough to play? The answer: to be determined.

While Kuminga was not the right fit for the Warriors, the trade for Kristaps Porziņģis feels unsatisfactory. Once again, this summer the Warriors will have to re-evaluate their roster. Porziņģis’s contract expires this summer, both Draymond Green and De’Anthony Melton have player options for the 2026-27 season, Curry’s contract expires after next season, and many of the Dubs’ role players will enter restricted free agency this summer. Sadly, Porziņģis will neither be the catalyst to push the Warriors into championship contention this year nor will he provide an answer to the team’s uncertain future.

It seems that the Hawks may have gotten the better end of the stick in this deal. I do believe that Kuminga will thrive with the Hawks once he returns from injury. His potential remains through the roof, and with more opportunity to play consistently, he will have the chance to develop his skills more fully. Furthermore, in acquiring Buddy Hield, the Hawks are adding a hard worker, a supportive teammate, and an elite three-point shooter. The Hawks come away from this trade with two promising players to back up their star player, Jalen Johnson, while the Warriors come away from this trade with more questions than answers.