Warriors gaining momentum toward new Kristaps Porzingis deal

The Warriors appear increasingly optimistic about bringing back Kristaps Porzingis.

According to ESPN’s Anthony Slater, there is growing momentum toward a new contract between Golden State and the veteran big man, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent.

The Warriors acquired Porzingis from the Hawks ahead of the February trade deadline, hoping his combination of size, shooting and rim protection would help strengthen a roster built around Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green.

When healthy, Porzingis showed flashes of exactly that. The bigger challenge was staying on the court.

Nevertheless, Golden State reportedly remains interested in another run with the 7-foot-2 forward-center.

Per Slater, the Warriors would prefer a shorter-term contract at a lower salary than the $30.7 million Porzingis earned this past season. That much probably isn’t surprising.

After all, Porzingis turns 31 this summer and has battled injuries throughout much of his career.

Still, when he’s available, he can be something of a cheat code. His ability to protect the rim on one end and stretch the floor on the other makes him a difficult matchup for just about anyone.

That’s one reason it would be surprising if the Warriors traded for him only to let him walk a few months later.

Golden State continues to monitor bigger-picture matters around the league, including LeBron James‘ free agency situation. But from the sounds of things, the Warriors are also taking care of some business closer to home.

And right now, that appears to include trying to keep Porzingis around.

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