Golden State’s Kristaps Porzingis Deal Has a Kick. It Also Makes Him a Trade Chip.

The Golden State Warriors gave Kristaps Porzingis a two-year, $40 million contract this offseason. That number jumps out. But the real story is buried in the fine print.

Per Anthony Slater at ESPN, the second year of Porzingis’ deal is only guaranteed for $3 million. That changes the math on both sides. The Warriors protected themselves against the possibility that Porzingis’ health falls apart again, and they also set themselves up to move him if needed.

Porzingis is immediately trade-eligible because the raise from Year 1 to Year 2 is less than five percent. That’s not an accident. The front office structured the contract this way on purpose.

The Latvian big man played just 32 games last season. He’s 30 now. He battled illness all year and never really found a rhythm. The Warriors traded Jonathan Kuminga to get him, a guy they had talked up as part of the core for a long time. So letting Porzingis walk for nothing in free agency was never happening. But neither was handing him a blank check.

The Porzingis gamble

This is the same bet Golden State has been making for years. They need to maximize whatever is left of Stephen Curry’s prime. That urgency pushed them into the LeBron James rumor cycle this summer, though James is not leaving the Lakers for the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception. Porzingis’ salary complicated that anyway.

Still, if Porzingis stays healthy, this contract is a bargain. A 7-foot-2 guy who can shoot from deep and protect the rim at $20 million per year is good business in the modern NBA. The problem is the “if.” He’s missed significant time in almost every season since his rookie year.

Trade value matters more than it should

The Warriors know Porzingis is more valuable as an asset than as just a player. That’s the truth of it. If he plays well, great, they have a stretch five who fits their system. If he breaks down, the low guarantee on Year 2 makes him an easy contract to move to a team looking for cap relief or a reclamation project. Either way, Golden State didn’t box themselves in.

That’s the kind of flexibility a team chasing one more ring needs. The Warriors are not in a position to risk big money on a question mark. They hedged. And if Porzingis answers the question in a good way, they’ll look smart either way.