NBA Exec Explains Why MPJ-to-Warriors Trade Is 'Hard to Line Up'

The Golden State Warriors need a big scoring wing, so it's not surprising that there have been rumors about their interest in Brooklyn Nets forward Michael Porter Jr.

Heavy Sports' Sean Deveney asked an NBA exec about the possibility of the Warriors landing Porter.

"It is hard to line up a deal between those two teams," the exec said. "Kuminga’s market, it is not great. And Porter’s market is great. Brooklyn is loaded with young guys, they’re not necessarily looking to drop Kuminga in there. They want picks, and the only way they get more than one pick is to get a third team involved, maybe a fourth."

Porter is averaging 25.9 points on 49.1 percent from the field and 40.4 percent from three. The Warriors currently have just to players—Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler—averaging over 12 points per game.

They are also one of the smallest teams in the NBA, so they would welcome Porter's height (6'10") and rebounding ability (7.5 RPG).

Let's analyze the exec's quote and make our own conclusions.

Nets' Lack of Interest in Kuminga Seems Real

Not only have there have been multiple reports that the Nets don't want Kuminga, but there's also the more convincing fact that they didn't pursue him last offseason.

The Nets had the cap space to sign Kuminga to an offer sheet, but they chose not to, and there were never any rumors that they were considering doing so.

The exec also makes a great point that the Nets have a ton of young players already, so they might not want another project unless they are really high on them.

The Nets have five rookies and three third-year players on the roster, all of whom are in the rotation when healthy. Noah Clowney, 21, is currently getting major minutes at the 3 and 4, and having Kuminga playing with him wouldn't make sense, as both struggle to shoot threes.

With that said, even if the Nets dislike the player package of Kuminga, Moses Moody and Buddy Hield, they should be motivated to trade if they get at least two high-value first-round picks.

Can the Nets Get More Than 1 Pick from the Warriors?

This is the million-dollar question.

Since trading a first-round pick to salary-dump Andre Iguodala in 2019, the Warrios have traded just one first-round pick that has conveyed, which was the 2025 protected first they traded to get Jimmy Butler.

Joe Lacob and the front office have held on to their future picks to the team's detriment, as the Warriors have won 50-plus games just once since 2019.

So when NBC Sports Bay Area's Dalton Johnson reported that the Warriors remain cautious with their future draft picks, it stands to reason that they might not be willing to give up more than one.

My guess is they are posturing. They are actually comfortable giving up two, but they don't want the Nets to know that because if they know the Warriors are comfortable giving up two, maybe the Nets ask for three.

Circling back to the exec's quote, if the Warriors would give the Nets two firsts, then it's possible the Nets accept a trade without getting a third team involved.

We're probably headed for a couple weeks of a staredown, but if/when the Warriors put the second first-rounder on the table, this trade won't be "hard to line up" anymore.