The Golden State Warriors may finally be answering Draymond Green’s loudest call, getting him some help in the frontcourt. In a new mock trade idea proposed by Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes, the Warriors address their glaring need for size, spacing, and interior defense by acquiring Kristaps Porzingis from the Boston Celtics.
Golden State Warriors Receive: Kristaps Porzingis
Boston Celtics Receive: Moses Moody, Buddy Hield, Trayce Jackson-Davis, Gui Santos
The proposed trade would send Moses Moody, Buddy Hield, Trayce Jackson-Davis, and Gui Santos to Boston, giving the Celtics four valuable rotation pieces, while the Warriors land the stretch big man they desperately need.
This deal would mark a significant shift for a franchise that has leaned heavily on “small ball” since the peak of the Splash Brothers era. Even Warriors GM Mike Dunleavy acknowledged this offseason that the small-ball identity is no longer sustainable in its purest form.
With Draymond Green and newly acquired Jimmy Butler forming a gritty, defense-first frontcourt, the team now needs someone who can stretch the floor vertically and horizontally. That’s exactly what Porzingis brings.
Standing at 7-foot-3, Porzingis averaged 20.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game last season with the Celtics, shooting a blistering 51.6% from the field and 37.5% from three-point range.
He’s one of the few bigs in the league who can protect the rim, pop out for threes, and serve as a legitimate post-up threat, a skill set the Warriors have never had at center. With Stephen Curry still operating at a high level, imagine the pick-and-pop or high screen actions between him and KP; it would force defenses into impossible decisions.
This trade would also finally relieve Draymond Green from the physical toll of guarding behemoths every night.
After starting most of the season at center, Green himself admitted on his podcast, The Draymond Green Show, that playing the five is “hard” and “takes a toll.” Even though he earned All-Defensive First Team honors again this year, at age 35, Green knows he can’t keep battling 260-pound centers nightly.
From Boston’s perspective, the trade may be rooted in finances. With Jaylen Brown’s and Jayson Tatum’s supermax extensions and a ballooning luxury tax, the Celtics are looking to shed long-term salary. Porzingis is owed over $60 million in the next two years.
In return, they get promising young talent in Jackson-Davis and Moody, as well as the sharpshooting Hield, who could replace some of the spacing KP offered.
The Warriors would need to navigate the cap implications of Porzingis’ contract, but with their win-now window closing around Curry, Butler, and Green, this could be their best chance to contend again. Trading youth for veteran talent is risky, but so is wasting what’s left of your dynasty’s core.
And if the trade goes through, Green may finally rest his bruised body a little easier.
