Exposing Warriors' trade of Kuminga as merely Plan B! They inquired about three star players: Leonard also on the list

Beijing time March 6, according to Warriors reporter Slater, before the NBA trade deadline, sources revealed that the Warriors had inquired about Jaren Jackson Jr., Giannis Antetokounmpo, and also called to explore the possibility of trading for Kawhi Leonard (at that time the Clippers seemed willing to trade).

None of these trades materialized, and the Warriors turned to Plan B—sending away Kuminga, whose contract was expiring and who was mentally unsettled.

In fact, since last season, Porzingis had entered the Warriors' recruitment list: at that time the Celtics were already facing salary pressure and destined to clear salary space. As early as more than a month before the February deadline, before Butler's injury, the Warriors had already discussed a trade with the Hawks, initially viewing him as a key piece for championship contention.

"Ideally, I wish Butler could also play alongside him," Dunleavy said. "But even without Butler, this lineup can work."

Sources said that when the Hawks traded for Porzingis last summer, they also saw promise in him: this 7-foot big man could both protect the rim and stretch out to shoot beyond 30 feet, significantly boosting the young core's competitiveness.

Theory also became reality: Porzingis played 17 games for the Hawks, averaging 17.1 points in 24.1 minutes per game; in his 413 minutes on court, the team's net efficiency was 5.8, the highest on the team. His presence made the team perform better.

But the reason he was ultimately put on the trading block was simple: Achilles tendonitis and unspecified ailments kept his attendance too low.

Thus within eight months, the second team chose to send away one of the league's most unique talents. The Hawks swallowed Hield's contract (guaranteed $3 million next season), betting on Kuminga's potential; the Warriors obtained Porzingis for the remainder of this season and retained the possibility of re-signing him this summer.

"We don't view him as a short-term rental," Dunleavy stated. "He can help us improve our ranking this season, solidify our playoff spot, and also fits our future plans."

One month after the trade, the situation hasn't tilted toward the Warriors. Kuminga had three consecutive explosive performances for the Hawks, a windmill dunk prompting Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins to shout "Thank you, Golden State Warriors!" on broadcast; meanwhile, Porzingis was absent again, and the Warriors lost 8 of their past 12 games.

Now the Warriors' record ranking is closer to the 10th-place Trail Blazers than the 7th-place Suns, deeply stuck in the play-in tournament mud. Their win count isn't enough to tank for a high draft pick, yet they are too far from the top-six secure playoff positions.

Long-term absences of Butler, Curry, and Porzingis dim the team's short-term prospects and cast greater doubt on the long-term competitiveness of this aging core.

The Warriors still possess eligibility to trade up to four future first-round picks this summer, which could be used to bolster pursuit of stars like Giannis who might be traded. If Porzingis recovers his value, he could also be used in a sign-and-trade to match salaries.

But evidently, trading for Porzingis was at least partly motivated by salary considerations: his contract is expiring, and if he leaves in summer, this trade would retrospectively be seen as clearing salary space.

"This will give us some flexibility next season," Dunleavy said. "Better control over salaries... We have multiple free agents, Draymond has a player option, and many uncertainties, making it hard to predict next season's cap situation."

While management worries about salaries, the Warriors locker room isn't pressuring this new teammate to return.

"When someone is injured, sick, or whatever, nobody here pressures them, asking 'What's wrong with you.' We don't do that," Draymond Green said. "So in the locker room, we don't feel the unease like outsiders do; it's not our way. We know when he's healthy, he'll be back on the court."

"We don't surround a player with pressure, making him anxious to return. No, you'll come back when you can."