This post was originally published on this site.
Want more ways to catch up on the latest in Bay Area sports? Sign up for theSection 415 email newsletter here and subscribe to the “Section 415″ podcastwherever you listen.
LOS ANGELES — On this day a year ago, in the same room tucked inside Crypto.com (opens in new tab) Arena, Mike Dunleavy explained how Jimmy Butler was about to change the Warriors’ season.
He was right. The general manager’s signature acquisition joined the team and spearheaded a 23-8 finish. In the year since trading for Butler until the wing tore his ACL in January, only three teams in the league won more games than the Warriors.
Dunleavy had another trade deadline to explain on Saturday evening. After joking that the Warriors might as well make a trip to Los Angeles for the deadline an annual tradition, this conversation struck a bit of a different tone.
Dunleavy projected wary optimism that Kristaps Porzingis, the newly acquired, oft-injured stretch-center, could stay healthy and give the Warriors a boost similar to Butler’s. He expressed frustration with media reports, particularly regarding Draymond Green’s inclusion in a hypothetical Giannis Antetokounmpo trade, insisting there was “never a possibility of him not being here” before bristling at the line of questioning.
The GM spoke before the Warriors (28-25) fell to the Lakers, 105-99. Golden State has two games until the All-Star break, of which Porzingis is already ruled out. Steph Curry, who’s doubtful to play Tuesday because of his lingering runner’s knee, may also sit through the break.
Dunleavy said he doesn’t really have expectations for the rest of the season because so much of it hinges on health, but he’s confident the Warriors will continue to compete.
“Despite the idea that we’re not in the mix, we’re fading, all this stuff — the reality is, up until Jimmy got hurt, we were pretty good,” Dunleavy said. “And I think we’re trending in the right direction. Now we’ve had to pivot a little bit. I think adding Kristaps can help. But, you know, this group is kind of what it is.”
The Draymond Green gray area
To make a trade with Milwaukee work, the Warriors would have had to include either Green or Butler to match salaries. Sources told The Standard that the team strongly indicated that it was committed to keeping Butler.
Green admitted he didn’t know whether or not he’d be traded until the minute the deadline passed. The defensive ace gave a full if this is it… press conference on Tuesday. The deadline was a “weird,” “nerve-wracking” 24 hours, he said, and he doesn’t want to make the uncertainty a habit.
Green revealed on his podcast (opens in new tab) that Dunleavy walked him through the framework of a possible Antetokounmpo trade that would’ve involved either him or Butler.
“But what it said to me in that moment was there’s a chance I may get traded for Giannis, because he didn’t rule it out,” Green said. “He didn’t say, ‘We’re not putting you in the deal.’ So I took that as, all right, it’ll probably be me.”
Dunleavy said Green’s name was only in conversations when teams called about him. The GM said the idea that Green survived the deadline with the Warriors is “greatly exaggerated.”
“There was never a possibility of him not being here,” Dunleavy said. “Remotely close, to be honest. I’ve conveyed that to him, I think he knows that. But when stuff comes up in the media, it feels different for the players. I think that was the first time that happened for Draymond. So, he’s dealing with it in a certain way. But the reality is, nothing was close. And nothing was considered. Draymond was not being shopped or talked about in deals. So, it’s a little misleading.”
That led into the spiciest moment of Dunleavy’s availability.
If nothing was close for Green, is it safe to assume a trade for Antetokounmpo was never close?
“Why’s that?” Dunleavy asked.
Well, because Green would’ve had to be in the deal. Either him or Butler.
“Okay, well, you’re putting words in my mouth. That’s an unbelievable assumption.”
So, was Butler on the table, then?
“No. No. No. We’re not doing that. I’m not going down the roster, talking about who’s in trades, who’s not. We don’t do that.”
So, did Dunleavy get caught in a lie? Not exactly.
It never made much sense for the Bucks to trade Antetokounmpo midseason, and there’s a belief around the league that they were never all that serious about moving him before the deadline.
So, if discussions never advanced to the point of a formal offer, a possible scenario, then the Warriors would’ve had no need to put Green — or any particular player, really — on the table. Their offer would’ve centered on draft picks, anyway.
Call it Schrodinger’s trade offer. Dunleavy didn’t need to ensure that Green would remain with Golden State because there wasn’t a deal to be made.
The Porzingis addition
Porzingis, 30, joined the team in Los Angeles, reuniting with his old Celtics teammate Al Horford. After the game, he had a long chat with Curry in the locker room.
Dunleavy watched him go through a morning workout with team director of sports medicine and performance Rick Celebrini.
Porzingis said he wants to return for Golden State’s first game out of the break, at home against Boston on Feb. 19. He has dealt with POTS and lower-body ailments.
Porzingis has played just 17 games this season and has been sidelined since Jan. 7. The Warriors did their due diligence, Dunleavy said, and have faith that their renowned medical team can work its magic.
All Porzingis cost was Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield, who have spent large parts of this season either out of the rotation or, in Kuminga’s case, injured.
“With where he’s at right now, where he’s been, we feel good about it,” Dunleavy said of Porzingis. “Then on the other end of it, in terms of what we’re sending out, we were sending out a player in a similar boat, who has struggled to stay on the floor. So, from our standpoint, we recognize the risk medically, but it’s a risk/reward.”
Asked if he’ll be on a minutes limit upon his eventual return, Porzingis joked that he’ll play all 48 minutes.
The Warriors have long sought a center who can space the floor and protect the rim to pair with Green. If he’s right, Porzingis is exactly that.
Porzingis is a career 36.6% 3-point shooter on high volume. (opens in new tab) At 7-foot-2, his jump shot is practically unblockable. He also likes to take 3-pointers from deep behind the arc, stretching opposing defenses.
On paper, he makes an extremely potent frontcourt partner for Green.
“Honestly, Draymond has always been one of the toughest guys for me to play against,” Porzingis said. “I know who he is, and how annoying he is for other guys. So to have him on my side now, it’s going to be pretty cool.”
Beyond his 3-point shot, Porzingis should help the Warriors’ search for consistent offense in the non-Curry minutes. He’s one of the most efficient post-up scorers in the league because of how effective he is against smaller players; he has registered 1.23 points per possession on post-ups, ranking 10th in the NBA.
Everything with Porzingis comes on the condition of good health.
“I think it’s a great, great opportunity to turn a new page,” Porziņģis said. “From what I’ve seen, and the conversations I’ve had so far with the medical staff here, and the people that work here, I have to say I’m very surprised and very optimistic. I’m in really, really good hands, if not some of the best hands, and I think that will also add to what I already have in my mind. So, I look forward to really having a surprisingly good post All-Star break.”
Looking ahead to the summer
In part of Dunleavy’s opening statement, he mentioned that the Warriors’ deadline moves set them up well for the summer. That wasn’t the front office’s primary motivation, rather an added benefit of not taking on long-term salary.
Porzingis is on an expiring $30 million deal. The Warriors have his Bird Rights, so there’s a pathway to bringing him back. But the team could also let him come off their books or look to sign-and-trade him.
Ducking below the tax threshold is a possibility. The Warriors have been a tax team every year since 2020-21. One team-building benefit from dipping under the tax would be opening up the non-taxpayer midlevel exception.
“We haven’t really gone down that road, but we’ll always look at it,” Dunleavy said. “I’d say, sure, it’s a possibility. But our chips are all-in on winning. And usually that comes with spending.”
The Warriors still have hardly any money committed after 2027. And by not sending out any future draft picks, the Warriors can build a strong trade package for a star-level talent in the summer, albeit a similar one to what they had for the deadline.
Dunleavy said the team is willing to do whatever it takes to upgrade the roster while it’s in win-now mode with Curry. He said the pursuit of Antetokounmpo didn’t prevent the Warriors from making other deals, and that they’re open to adding a player on a long-term contract.
“We’ve got the goods to make deals,” Dunleavy said. “I think, the only way we wouldn’t be in the mix is if we gave out assets, young players, all the things you need to get a great player. We still have all that. I think that’s one of the reasons the KP trade is really good for us, similar to Jimmy last year. We don’t feel like we gave up a ton. So, we still have kind of the firepower to move forward and do more deals.”