Perk on Porzingis trade: ‘It does absolutely nothing for me’ (1:17)Kendrick Perkins analyzes what it means for the Golden State Warriors to acquire Kristaps Porziņgis. (1:17)
Anthony SlaterFeb 7, 2026, 09:13 PM ETMultiple Authors
LOS ANGELES — Golden State Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy denied that Draymond Green was in active trade conversations in advance of this week’s deadline despite the team’s pursuit of Milwaukee star Giannis Antetokounmpo.
To make a trade for Antetokounmpo work for salary match purposes, the Warriors would’ve needed to put either Green or Jimmy Butler III in the deal. Dunleavy was asked whether that meant he would’ve instead traded Butler for Antetokounmpo.
“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, that’ll probably be me.'”
The Bucks never showed enough interest in the set of draft picks the Warriors were offering to move forward with an Antetokounmpo deal. The Warriors instead pivoted to a trade for Atlanta Hawks big man Kristaps Porzingis, sending Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield out in the deal.
Porzingis possesses a skill set that the Warriors lack. He is a 7-foot-3 rim protector who stretches the floor accurately and at a high volume on 3s.
But availability is the question. Porzingis has been limited to 17 games this season because of recent Achilles tendinitis and the lingering impact of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS).
Porzingis joined the team in Los Angeles on Friday night. He had a court workout on Saturday afternoon and a conversation with Rick Celebrini, the team’s lead medical decision maker, and said he has already “clicked” with the medical staff.
Celebrini and the Warriors have decided to hold Porzingis out of the final three games before the All-Star break, keep him in San Francisco for court work through next weekend and then debut him out of the break.
The Warriors face Porzingis’ old team, the Boston Celtics, on Feb. 19 in their first game out of the break. Porzingis said his plan and goal is to debut that night.
“48 straight [minutes],” Porzingis joked. “But we’ll see what the medical staff has for me. I want to hit the ground running.”
Porzingis averaged 17.1 points and 5.1 rebounds in his 17 games with the Hawks this season, making 36% of his 3s.
Perk on Porzingis trade: ‘It does absolutely nothing for me’ (1:17)Kendrick Perkins analyzes what it means for the Golden State Warriors to acquire Kristaps Porziņgis. (1:17)
Kendrick Perkins analyzes what it means for the Golden State Warriors to acquire Kristaps Porziņgis. (1:17)
“I’m in really, really good hands,” Porzingis said. “If not some of the best hands.”
“I look forward to really having a surprisingly good post-All-Star break period,” Porzingis said.
Anthony SlaterFeb 7, 2026, 09:13 PM ETMultiple Authors