The Golden State Warriors might have just talked themselves into a move that fans are going to replay for years. Last summer, there were strong rumblings that Jonathan Kuminga could have been flipped to the Sacramento Kings for a first-round pick. Clean. Simple. Flexible.
The kind of move that keeps options open around Stephen Curry while the clock is ticking. Instead, the Warriors waited. Then, at the deadline (they tried hard to get Giannis), they moved Kuminga for Kristaps Porziņģis. That is not patience. That is gambling.
The Warriors were wrong to gamble on Kristaps Porzingis
Fans understand risk when the upside is undeniable. But Porziņģis has never been about certainty. He has always been about potential and health disclaimers. When he plays, he stretches on the floor. He blocks shots.
He looks like the perfect modern big next to Curry (he won a chip with the Celtics). But that is the key phrase: “When he plays.”
The Warriors did not need a “when healthy” piece. They needed something reliable. Curry is not getting younger. This window is not expanding. Every move now has to be sharp, not hopeful.
Turning down a first-round pick last summer to bet on Porziņģis’ medical chart is the kind of decision that can spiral fast.
Kuminga never fully fit Golden State’s system. He was raw, explosive, and sometimes chaotic in an offense built on precision. But that does not mean he lacked value. In the right environment, he could easily average 20 a night.
If that happens while Porziņģis misses another chunk of games, this trade will age like milk. Even if Kuminga never becomes a star, that first-round pick could have been flipped for something safer. Something sturdier. Something that does not require crossed fingers every night.
The Warriors failed to maximize Stephen Curry’s final run
Everything now revolves around Curry’s timeline. He is still incredible. He can still take over games. But the Warriors do not have years to experiment. They had a clean asset on the table last summer. They chose risk instead.
If Porziņģis stays healthy and dominates in the playoffs, no one will care. But if he misses time or fades when it matters, Warriors fans are going to look back at that passed first-round pick and wonder what exactly the front office was thinking.
Dynasties do not collapse overnight. They erode through gambling decisions. And this gamble could sting for a long time.
