There were moments. For example, against the Clippers in the first play-in game, when the Warriors got the Kristaps Porzingis they needed — 20 points on 8-of-12 from the field and 3-of-6 from 3-point range, plus five rebounds, five assists and a couple of blocked shots. If the Warriors decide to get the band back together next season and try to make another run in the Stephen Curry era, they could use that Porzingis.
For his part, Porzingis isn’t sure what’s next. After a roller coaster of a season where, once again, illness and injuries again limited him (32 games), he said he wants to take a step back in an exclusive interview with Melissa Rohlan of the California Post. She asked Porzingis if he wanted to return to the Warriors.
“That’s a good question. I do love my time here, honestly. Not one bad thing I can say about the organization, the team, the teammates. I really love it here, I really do.
“As I said before, I haven’t had a good year. If I had a good year, I think I’d have a more clear picture of what I want to do. Because I’ve had an up-and-down year like this, this is an offseason in my career that I think I’m just going to take a step back, look at the whole picture and then see what’s the best direction for me.”
What’s next for Porzingis involves a few questions. If the Warriors are going to get the band back together next season (or make a bold move, such as chasing Giannis Antetokounmpo) to position themselves for another big run in the Stephen Curry era, they would likely want Porzingis back — but at considerably less than the $30.7 million he was making this season. Which leads to the next couple of questions: Would another team step up with a bigger offer? What will Porzingis prioritize in picking where he plays next? Money? Role? Contending team?
Porzingis’ value when healthy is not in question, just ask the champion 2024 Celtics. He’s an All-Star-level player when on the court. However, his availability is on the table. Porzingis has played in fewer than 60 games in each of the past three seasons, and has cleared 65 games just three times in his 10-year career (and two of those were his first two seasons in the league).
Porzingis isn’t going to be the biggest free agent name on the board this summer, but he is one of the more interesting ones.
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