Leading up to the NBA trade deadline on February 5, 2026, the Warriors had rumors surrounding them about acquiring one of the NBA’s biggest stars, Giannis Antetokounmpo. As the trade deadline approached, that trade didn’t look very promising. It would have brought a lot of excitement to the team, but it would have cost them most of their future draft picks and young stars due to Giannis’s insane price tag.
With Giannis no longer available for trades, the Warriors searched elsewhere for a tall center that they needed due to their short roster, which has been the missing piece for this team for years. To gain a player like this, the Warriors knew they had to get rid of Jonathan Kunminga who had an expiring contract. Kunminga is one of the league’s most exciting and high upside players, but he didn’t seem to have chemistry with the Warrior team .Some fans didn’t like the idea of getting rid of the most promising young player the Warriors had, while others didn’t mind due to him not contributing to team chemistry.
“I will miss Kuminga, but it is worth the trade and hassle if it betters the team chemistry” said Colton Mederos, a basketball player.
The Warriors also knew they had to get rid of an older, more senior, team player in order to save cap space for any move they would need to make going forward. Sadly, this happened to be 33-year-old Buddy Hield, who didn’t cause much controversy due to his age and low upside as an aging role- player. Buddy played less than two years with the team, but never was considered a leader or a starter.
Figuring out who the Warriors could afford to give up was easier than figuring out who they could get. On a surprising pivot, the Warriors ended up receiving a 7 ft 2 Center, Kristaps Porzingis, from the Atlanta Hawks. Adding Porzingis will drastically increase the height the Warriors have always needed. This trade was very controversial among NBA fans due to Porzingis being perpetually injured, and his struggles to stay healthy throughout his career. Porzingis is thirty years old, injured, and expensive, making fans question the pick.
Looking into the Warriors future, it’s becoming clear what the Warriors are looking for as a team that can bond and work together to win. In the past, Warriors coach Steve Kerr received a lot of backlash due to his lack of transparency with fans and the public; Was he building for the future or trying to create a team for Steph Curry’s last years? Either way, it is now becoming clear the Warriors are in full win mode by adding an exciting center.
Understanding this trade, and what it means for the future of this team, is on everyone’s minds, including fans and even past players. Chris Mullin, NBA Hall of Fame superstar, 5 time all star and key member of the Olympic gold medal dream team as well as one of the greatest players in Warriors history, believes,
“This is just the trade the warrior needed because if Porzingis cant stay healthy, then the warriors don’t have to keep him next year and can save 30 million dollars”.
Although February 5th has gone, the hype around this trade has not. Fans were anticipating a better start from their new center, but due to injuries, that has yet to happen. As he has only played one game since joining the team.The ups and downs continue in the short term, but this trade is meant to help long term. Golden State Warrior fans refuse to give up rooting for their golden team, and stand behind the trade.
