Warriors agree to new deal with Kristaps Porzingis

The Warriors got one of their biggest offseason priorities across the finish line.

According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Golden State and veteran big man Kristaps Porzingis have agreed to a two-year, $40 million contract that includes a player option for the second season.

The agreement comes after weeks of reports linking the two sides to a new deal.

As Hoops Wire relayed last week, ESPN’s Anthony Slater first described “growing momentum” toward a new contract, while Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints later reported that the Warriors and Porzingis remained actively engaged in negotiations.

Golden State acquired Porzingis from the Hawks at the February trade deadline, hoping his combination of size, shooting and rim protection would complement a veteran core led by Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green.

When healthy, he did exactly that. The bigger issue was availability.

Porzingis appeared in just 32 games last season while continuing to deal with injuries and the effects of POTS, a condition that has limited him over the past two years. Still, the 7-foot-2 forward-center remained an impact player whenever he was on the floor, capable of stretching defenses offensively while protecting the rim at the other end.

The contract also represents a significant pay cut for Porzingis, who had earned at least $27 million in each of the previous seven seasons.

But for both sides, the fit made sense.

The Warriors were looking for a shorter-term commitment at a lower salary. Porzingis wanted another opportunity with a contender that already knew what he could provide when healthy.

Now they’ll get another chance to find out together.