The trade rumors surfaced this week like a fever dream you can’t shake when you wake up. Michael Porter Jr. to Golden State. The hypothetical package: Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, Buddy Hield, and a first-round
pick. Dalton Johnson quickly clarified that the Warriors haven’t actually made that offer, that they’ve been hesitant on Porter, and remain cautious with their future draft picks.
But man, for about six hours before the clarification hit, I let myself imagine it.
Picture this: A 6-10 wing who’s averaging 25.9 points per game this season, shooting 49% from the field and nearly 40% from three. A player who can space the floor for Steph Curry in ways this current roster simply cannot. Someone who can punish smaller defenders in the post and rise over contests for midrange buckets when the offense stagnates. Porter Jr. gives you everything the modern Warriors offense desperately needs: elite shooting, size on the wing, and the kind of scoring punch that turns good teams into genuine contenders.
Imagine Steph running pick-and-roll with Draymond while Porter relocates to the corner, defenses scrambling to account for two of the league’s most dangerous shooters. Imagine Porter crashing the glass on both ends with that 7.4 rebounds per game he’s pulling down this year, giving Golden State some much-needed size and second-chance opportunities. Imagine him taking defensive assignments shoulders, using that length to disrupt passing lanes and contest shots at the rim.
That’s the dream. That’s the version where this trade makes the Warriors dangerous again, where they climb back into legitimate title contention while a 36-year-old Steph Curry still has something left in the tank.
But here’s where I need to pump the brakes, because I’m the guy who thought Monta Ellis was untouchable. I’m a a pretty mediocre talent evaluator, and my track record suggests you should probably ignore most of what I think about roster construction as a blatant homer. So when I start fantasizing about Michael Porter Jr. saving this season, I have to remind myself what we’d be giving up.
Kuminga, for all his flaws and inconsistencies, is 23 years old with the kind of athletic tools that don’t exist on most rosters. Moody is 23 and still developing into a reliable rotation piece and shows flashes of being a killer 3-and-D guy. That first-round pick could be anything. And Buddy Hield, despite his lack of playing time, gives you instant offense and veteran know how. Ask the Rockets about what he did to ‘em in Game 7 of the playoffs last year!
That’s the cost. Not just assets, but potential. The kind of potential that keeps front offices awake at night wondering if they gave up on someone too soon.
The Warriors are 21-19, sitting eighth in the Western Conference. Kuminga isn’t even playing anymore, completely out of Steve Kerr’s rotation while this team struggles to stay above .500. And that’s the part I can’t reconcile. I don’t know enough about basketball to demand specific trades. I can’t tell you definitively whether Michael Porter Jr. is worth the price, or if there’s some other move that makes more sense.
But I do know this: It makes absolutely no damn sense to have Kuminga riding the bench if he’s not trade bait. Either he’s part of the rotation and you’re showcasing his value, or he’s not playing because a deal is imminent. What you can’t do is this current limbo, where a lottery pick just disappears while your championship window narrows.
Maybe Porter is the answer. Maybe he’s the piece that unlocks one more title run before Steph retires. Or maybe we’re about to watch the Warriors mortgage their future for a player who doesn’t move the needle enough, who comes with his own injury concerns and defensive limitations, who looks great on paper but doesn’t translate to winning basketball when it matters most.
I was wrong about Monta. I’m probably wrong about half the opinions I hold right now.
But at what cost do we find out if I’m wrong about this one too?
