Feb. 21, 2026, 8:01 a.m. PT
Ahead of the Feb. 5 trade deadline, the Golden State Warriors struck a deal to acquire Kristaps Porzingis from the Atlanta Hawks. Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield were sent in the opposite direction as part of the trade. By adding Porzingis, the Warriors have solved a long-standing issue in the middle of the court, adding both size and skill to Steve Kerr’s rotation.
When speaking with Tim Kawakami of The San Francisco Standard, Warriors owner Joe Lacob shared his thoughts on the move to acquire Porzingis and what the veteran big man can bring to the rotation moving forward.
“He showed you a little bit about what he can do and why we got him,” Lacob said, referring to Porzingis’ debut against the Boston Celtics on Feb. 19. “He’s always been one of my favorite players, to be honest, just in terms of his skill set, his size. You know, Mike Dunleavy and the guys always laugh because I’m always yelling for more size. And we finally got it. He’s 7-foot-3, so I’m happy with that. We’ve got two real 7-footers on the team now [along with Quinten Post]. I like what I saw. Let’s get him ready, get him back to playing, get his timing back, and get used to our players. I think it’s encouraging.”
Porzingis is currently in the final few months of his contract. He will become an unrestricted free agent in the summer. If he can get back to full health and remain on the court for the rest of the season, it will be interesting to see whether the Warriors look to re-sign him during the summer.
For now, though, Porzingis should elevate the Warriors’ rotation. He’s got the size, skill and experience to make a genuine impact for Kerr’s roster. And, for a team that’s long been searching for a big man with his skill set, the Warriors will likely ensure Porzingis has a sizeable role to play in the coming months.
Need a news break? Check out the all new PLAY hub with puzzles, games and more!
This post originally appeared on Warriors Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!