Warriors reportedly contacted Bucks and Bulls about Kristaps Porzingis trade options
Golden State has reached out to Milwaukee and Chicago as it explores moves for Kristaps Porzingis, who has not played this season.
The Golden State Warriors are still working out how to move forward with center Kristaps Porzingis, who has not appeared for the team this season while dealing with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS). The NBA champion big man has been linked to several trade rumors around the league, and reports now suggest the Warriors have made contact with at least two teams.
Milwaukee and Myles Turner
ClutchPoints senior NBA reporter Brett Siegel reported that the Warriors recently contacted the Milwaukee Bucks about a potential Porzingis trade, citing Sam Amick of The Athletic. It is not yet known whether Golden State was interested in Myles Turner or another player. Turner is earning $26.5 million this season, so the Warriors would have to send out an additional $6.6 million to match salaries in such a deal.
The Stein Line's Jake Fischer offered a different view of Golden State's priorities. According to his sources, Turner is not high on the Warriors' list of potential targets. The team showed interest in Turner when he was earning less than $20 million a year in Indiana, but his salary of about $26 million on a contract running through the 2028-29 season no longer holds the same appeal. Golden State would reportedly want draft capital or other incentives from Milwaukee before considering a deal for Turner now.
Chicago and Jalen Smith
Fischer also reported that the Warriors have contacted the Chicago Bulls, who could offer a short-term option in forward Jalen Smith. The 26-year-old provides some floor-spacing ability and is earning roughly half of Porzingis's salary this season, at $9.4 million. He is in the final year of a three-year, $27 million contract.
Fischer said the Warriors' interest in Chicago faces a complication under the NBA's new lottery rules. Rebuilding teams over the next three seasons must weigh those rules when giving up any player who can help them stay competitive. Teams with a bottom-three record have a reduced chance of winning the lottery in May, which changes how much they value draft assets and financial flexibility in every deal.
Timeline and next steps
Fischer suggested that this landscape could delay Golden State's search for a workable solution until mid-December. By then, more teams are expected to be open to trade proposals, once the bulk of the players signed in the previous summer's free agency become eligible to be moved. For now, the Warriors' options remain under discussion, and no trade has been reported as agreed.