NBA Trade Evaluation: Kristaps Porzingis Shipped to the Warriors in Blockbuster Deal
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The Golden State Warriors were connected to wanting to acquire Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo after the news dropped that the Bucks were shopping him. That is supposedly shopping.
The Milwaukee Bucks have indicated to teams that they are keeping Giannis Antetokounmpo through the trade deadline and will start making other trades, sources tell ESPN.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 5, 2026
After the reports dropped that the Bucks are holding on to Antetokounmpo, NBA insider Jake Fischer said that he heard from one team executive that Milwaukee was never serious about trading him by Feb. 5. With that, what was supposed to be a noisy deadline ended up being fairly quiet. Teams that may have been making moves for Antetokounmpo or other players if he went somewhere else could have just decided to hold on to their assets to pursue him after the NBA season. The Warriors, however, with an aging Stephen Curry at 37, do not have time to waste. This certainly went into them making a big trade for the Atlanta Hawks versatile scoring big man, Kristaps Porzingis.
Atlanta Hawks-Golden State Warriors Trade
Golden State Receives-
PF Kristaps Porzingis
Atlanta Receivies-
SG Buddy Hield
SF Jonathan Kuminga
Why This Trade Makes Sense For The Hawks
Atlanta currently has a record of 25-27. In this, they have a solid team but are nowhere close to being a contender. Being in this spot, the Hawks have the capability to take chances on young players. And with Porzingis, NBA teams looking to compete covet him based on his recent time with the Boston Celtics. Thus bringing the Warriors to knock on the door for a trade.
Kuminga should get an opportunity on this roster, at least more than he did with Golden State. This season, he is averaging 12.1 PPG, 5.9 RPG, and 2.5 APG. He could just be scratching the surface of his potential, and if things work out, he could be a nice piece next to Hawks forward Jalen Johnson in the future for Atlanta.
The addition of center Jock Landale from the Utah Jazz and the improved play of big man Onyeka Okongwu also made moving off of Porzingis easy. The two big men are having career years statistically.
The Hawks getting Buddy Hield this year gives them more potential shooting, which they need after dealing Luke Kennard to the Los Angeles Lakers. Kennard, this season is averaging 7.9 PPG and leads the league for the highest shooting percentage on threes at 49.7% on 3.2 attempts per game.
Why This Trade Makes Sense For The Warriors
The Warriors are desperate, and for good reason. As mentioned, they have an aging star in Curry. Also amplifying their need to make a big move was the season-ending injury of Jimmy Butler. The addition of Porzingis gives the Warriors a viable second-scoring option, which they currently lack. This season, Porzingis is averaging 17.1 PPG, 5.1 PRPG, and 2.7 APG. The risk that comes with this trade for the Warriors is tied to Porzingis’ health.
He has missed 35 games this season out of a possible 52. He is currently out with the combo of a complex illness and Achilles tendinitis.
Fantasy Basketball Impact Of This Trade
The big winner in this trade is Kuminga. He should see a big jump in his averages across the board. This new opportunity should bring forth more playing time, from his current minute average of 23.8 per game. With this trade, Kuminga has a good chance of becoming a mainstay player for fantasy.
Porzingis and Hield’s value does not change much as their roles on their new teams stay fairly similar—Porzingis being a second scoring option, and Hield just being a shooter.
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Gray Deyo is a Nashville-based sportswriter who graduated with a sports management bachelor's degree from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. He has covered prep sports, college sports, the WNBA, and the NBA for the past four years. In addition to writing for SI, Gray also currently contributes to Prep Girls Hoops