The Warriors may like Michael Porter Jr. That does not mean they are eager to pay for him.
According to Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area, Golden State has been hesitant to pursue a deal for the Nets forward, largely due to a continued reluctance to part with future draft capital. That caution has defined the Warriors’ approach for a while now.
There is also the Jonathan Kuminga factor. Kuminga becomes trade-eligible Jan. 15 and is widely viewed as a likely outgoing piece before the Feb. 5 deadline. He signed a two-year, $48.5 million deal last offseason, with a team option in year two that is clearly designed to be reworked by his next team.
Porter, meanwhile, has done his part to raise eyebrows. Acquired from the Nuggets last offseason, he is averaging 25.9 points and shooting nearly 40 percent from three on an 11-25 Brooklyn team that is going nowhere fast. At 27, Porter looks far more like a finishing piece than a building block.
The Warriors are 21-19 and sitting eighth in the West. They have not been past the second round since 2022. Stephen Curry still sets the timeline, but Golden State continues to draw firm lines around what it will give up.
Porter does not have a no-trade clause. The question is not whether Brooklyn will listen. It is whether the Warriors are willing to meet the price.
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