Kristaps Porzingis was supposed to be the Hawks’ cheat code this season, the kind of big who tilts the floor. Instead, his first year with the Atlanta Hawks is getting stalled out by a brutal timing issue, an illness that the team says will sideline him for at least two more weeks while he undergoes additional evaluation and stays limited with basketball activity.
- 1. The Hornets Find A New Unicorn
- 2. The Cavaliers Bet On A New Big To Reset Their Season
- 3. The Pistons Turn Tobias Harris Into A Playoff Cheat Code
- 4. The Heat Go Big With Bam Adebayo At Power Forward
- 5. The Magic Buy A Real Frontcourt Contributor
- 6. The Spurs Build A Twin Tower Frontcourt With Victor Wembanyama
That matters because Porzingis isn’t some long-term project. He’s a win-now player, and when he’s been available, he’s produced like it, averaging 19.2 points and 5.6 rebounds in 13 games.
But the calendar doesn’t care. He’s in the final season of a two-year, $60 million contract, and his 2025-26 salary sits at $30.7 million, which makes him both valuable and very tradable depending on what direction the Hawks choose to take.
The awkward part is the roster around him has already shown it can function without the “Unicorn” being the centerpiece. Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels, Zaccharie Risacher, Jalen Johnson, and Onyeka Okongwu have given the Hawks a young, fast, switchy foundation that can win games and keep the identity intact even when the frontcourt gets reshuffled.
And with the Hawks also including Trae Young inching closer to practice, it’s fair to say the vibes are shifting. If this group can keep competing with that five-man spine and a more balanced approach, it only adds oxygen to the Trae Young problem we’ve already covered, and it puts an even brighter spotlight on Porzingis as the cleanest “big swing” contract on the books.
With that in mind, here are six realistic Kristaps Porzingis trade scenarios that actually make sense, financially and basketball-wise, if the Hawks decide this is the moment to pivot.
1. The Hornets Find A New Unicorn
Hornets Receive: Kristaps Porzingis
Hawks Receive: Miles Bridges, 2027 first-round pick (via Heat)
The Charlotte Hornets are sitting at 8-18, 12th in the East, and that’s the kind of record that forces a front office to pick a lane. Either you fully lean into the long game, or you make a bold move that changes the vibe immediately. This trade is the second option, and it’s basically the Hornets saying: we need a new identity, right now.
Miles Bridges has been good, no doubt. He’s putting up 21.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.8 assists, shooting 43.3% from the field and 32.0% from three. But here’s the problem for the Hornets, he’s also the exact type of player who can keep you stuck in the middle. Good enough to win some nights, not the kind of piece that automatically changes what opponents fear about you.
Porzingis, when healthy, changes geometry. Defenses have to respect him out to the perimeter, and it gives the Hornets a real frontcourt scoring threat that doesn’t clog the paint for their guards and wings. The illness is the risk, and it’s real. The Hawks already said he’s out at least two more weeks while he continues evaluation and limited activity. But that risk is also why the price can stay in the “realistic” zone instead of turning into three first-rounders overnight.
Financially, it’s clean enough to discuss. Bridges makes $25 million in 2025-26, which puts the Hornets in the ballpark to match Porzingis’ $30.7 million salary. And the pick is the swing. The Hornets can use Miami’s 2027 first, protected 1 to 14, as the sweetener without touching their own draft lifeline.
2. The Cavaliers Bet On A New Big To Reset Their Season
Cavaliers Receive: Kristaps Porzingis
Hawks Receive: Jarrett Allen, Max Strus
The Cavaliers are living in the weirdest reality check imaginable. Last season, they clinched the No. 1 seed in the East.
This season, they’re 15-12 and stuck in that messy middle where nothing feels stable night to night. The low point might’ve been the Hornets game, when they literally went scoreless in overtime, which is the kind of loss that screams “this isn’t working.”
That’s why the Jarrett Allen for Porzingis concept makes sense from the Cavaliers’ side, even if it’s uncomfortable. Allen is still a winning player; he’s at 14.0 points and 7.3 rebounds on 56.3% from the field, but the two-big structure has felt clunky way too often, especially when the spacing dries up. And financially, Allen’s $20.0 million salary plus Strus at $15.9 million gets you into the neighborhood to take on Porzingis’ $30.7 million.
The real Cavaliers angle is the reset button. Porzingis is in the final year, so if things go sideways, that’s a massive chunk of money that can come off the books in the summer. That’s how you start talking about real flexibility and a potential $30 million lane opening up, depending on what they do next.
Basketball-wise, it’s also a stylistic pivot. This trade basically pushes the Cavaliers toward Evan Mobley at the starting five long-term, more pace, more five-out possessions, and fewer lineups where two defenders can just sit in the paint and dare them to create.
And yes, there’s risk, because Porzingis is currently dealing with an illness and is expected to miss at least two more weeks. But if the Cavaliers are serious about shaking off a disappointing follow-up to a No. 1 seed season, this is the kind of swing that actually changes the ceiling.
3. The Pistons Turn Tobias Harris Into A Playoff Cheat Code
Pistons Receive: Kristaps Porzingis
Hawks Receive: Tobias Harris, 2028 first round pick, 2027 second round pick (via Bucks)
The Detroit Pistons are 20-5 and sitting on top of the East, so this is officially past the “nice story” stage. They’ve already proven they can win games in bulk. Now it’s about who they become in May, when teams stop caring about vibes and start hunting weaknesses.
This is where flipping Tobias Harris starts to make sense. Harris has been steady at 14.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.3 assists on 45.3% from the field, and he’s making $26.6 million in 2025-26.
He’s a useful vet, but he’s also the cleanest “big salary that won’t break the locker room” piece the Pistons can move if they want to add a ceiling-raiser. And that’s what Porzingis represents, even with the obvious risk, because he’s currently dealing with an illness for at least two more weeks.
From the Pistons’ angle, the win is simple. You replace a solid forward with a frontcourt piece that changes spacing, matchup geometry, and late-game options. The Pistons already have size and physicality. Adding a stretch big with real gravity is the kind of tweak that makes elite teams feel uncomfortable, especially in a conference where every top opponent loads up the paint and dares you to beat them with clean shooting.
The picks are the price of admission. The Pistons own their 2028 first, and it has extra seconds floating around, including Milwaukee’s 2027 second. For a team with a real shot at June, that’s a totally reasonable tax to pay. If you’re the Pistons and you believe this season is real, this is exactly the type of swing that turns “best record” into “best team.”
4. The Heat Go Big With Bam Adebayo At Power Forward
Heat Receive: Kristaps Porzingis
Hawks Receive: Andrew Wiggins, 2026 second-round pick (via Nets), 2027 second-round pick
The Miami Heat are 14-11 and sitting in that dangerous zone where they’re good, but not scary enough. And that’s why the Porzingis idea actually fits their DNA. It’s a classic Heat move: take a swing on a high-upside piece, accept the risk, and trust the system to make it look genius.
The outgoing piece is Andrew Wiggins. He’s averaging 16.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.9 assists while shooting 48.7% from the field, and he’s making $28.2 million in 2025-26. That’s not bad production at all. But it’s also not something that changes the playoff equation. If the Heat want a different look that forces opponents to adjust, this is the kind of deal that actually flips a series.
The whole pitch is lineup versatility. If the Heat land Porzingis, they can realistically play Bam Adebayo at power forward more often and lean into a bigger frontcourt without losing skill.
Adebayo is at 19.2 points and 8.9 rebounds on 47.8% from the field, and he’s athletic enough to survive at the four in stretches. Porzingis would give them the spacing and size that makes those lineups make sense, and it would open driving lanes for their guards instead of turning every possession into a crowd.
The picks are light because the Heat don’t have a clean stash of draft capital, but they do have a 2026 second coming in from Brooklyn and a 2027 second that’s tied into the multi-team swap math. That’s the sweetener, not the foundation.
There’s obviously a risk, but if you’re the Heat, you don’t win by playing safe. You win by making one move that forces the entire East to deal with you.
5. The Magic Buy A Real Frontcourt Contributor
Magic Receive: Kristaps Porzingis
Hawks Receive: Jonathan Isaac, Wendell Carter Jr., Mo Wagner, 2032 first-round pick
This one is clean because the Orlando Magic are already good enough to justify a real “let’s win a round” swing. They’re 15-11 and sitting in the mix in the East, and they’ve built a roster that can defend, run, and actually play grown-up basketball most nights.
Porzingis is a bet on the ceiling. The catch is obvious: He’ll miss time now and possibly in the future. But if the Magic believe his availability stabilizes down the stretch, he becomes the exact kind of big who forces playoff defenses to stop packing the paint and start making uncomfortable choices.
The outgoing piece here is basically two rotation bigs whose money stacks neatly. Isaac is at $15.0 million in 2025 26, Carter is at $10.85 million, and Wagner is at $5.0 million. That’s enough to get the deal into a realistic salary-matching lane without the Magic needing to toss in extra contracts just to make the math work.
The pick is where it gets a little funny. The Magic can’t just casually throw in a nearby first because their future stash is already tangled, with outgoing firsts in 2026, 2028, and 2030 on the books. That’s why the realistic sweetener is a far-out first that they actually control cleanly, like their 2032 first.
From the Magic angle, it’s a simple risk profile. You sacrifice some depth and defensive versatility in exchange for a frontcourt piece that can change what a playoff game looks like. If you’re the Magic and you want to stop being the team everybody respects but nobody fears, this is the type of deal that flips the vibe immediately.
6. The Spurs Build A Twin Tower Frontcourt With Victor Wembanyama
Spurs Receive: Kristaps Porzingis
Hawks Receive: Keldon Johnson, Harrison Barnes, 2029 first-round pick
This is the “video game lineup” concept, and it’s why the San Antonio Spurs would have to at least think about it. They’re already 18-7, they just punched their way into the NBA Cup final, and the whole league can feel the momentum building.
If you’re the Spurs, the pitch is simple, slide Victor Wembanyama to power forward more often, let Porzingis handle the center minutes, and suddenly you’ve got absurd size plus spacing without sacrificing shot blocking.
The money is the easy part. Keldon Johnson makes $17.5 million in 2025 26, Harrison Barnes makes $19.0 million, so the Spurs can match Porzingis’ $30.7 million number without doing gymnastics. And that Barnes inclusion matters because it keeps the deal from turning into a pile of extra throw-ins.
The real basketball reason is versatility. With Wembanyama at the four, the Spurs can crank up the pace, switch more, and still keep a real rim protector on the floor. It also makes their half-court offense nastier, because you’re forcing defenses to guard a stretch big at the five while Wembanyama attacks space instead of fighting two bodies on every catch.
The pick part is realistic too, because the Spurs actually have options. The Spurs own a 2029 first-round pick, and they also have extra future firsts in the pipeline. So attaching a 2029 first is the clean “one real asset” sweetener that makes this feel like an actual phone call instead of fan fiction.
The only reason this doesn’t become a slam dunk is the same reason every Porzingis idea carries tension right now. The Hawks have already put a two-week minimum on his timeline. But if the Spurs are serious about going from fun contender to terrifying contender, this is the kind of move that can change the entire playoff map.
