ESPN critical of Porzingis' contract with Warriors
Kristaps Porzingis' two-year, $40 million deal with the Golden State Warriors has received a poor grade from an ESPN analyst, citing the Latvian's health risks.
ESPN has critically assessed Kristaps Porzingis' new contract with the Golden State Warriors. The two-year, $40 million deal was given a 'C' grade by ESPN analyst Zach Kram.
According to the analyst, the Warriors have opted for a high-risk, high-reward strategy. If healthy, Porzingis can still be one of the league's most valuable big men, but his health condition raises major concerns.
Last season, the 30-year-old center played only 32 games for the Atlanta Hawks and the Golden State Warriors. The previous season, he appeared in just 42 games for the Boston Celtics. His frequent absences were also influenced by a diagnosed postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), which forced teams to carefully manage his playing time.
In the Warriors, Porzingis will reunite with Al Horford, with whom he helped the Boston Celtics win the NBA championship. The analyst believes that by splitting minutes between Porzingis, Horford, and Draymond Green, Golden State can effectively manage the Latvian's workload. If the team also manages to acquire Anthony Davis, the frontcourt rotation would become even more impressive.
However, the new contract could complicate the Warriors' plans to acquire other superstars. ESPN notes that Porzingis' deal limits Golden State's financial flexibility, potentially hindering their ability to land both Anthony Davis and LeBron James.
Kram concludes that the two-year, $40 million contract is a risky investment. If Porzingis can play regularly, it could be a very successful deal, but if his health issues persist, the Warriors may end up paying a high price for a player who rarely takes the court.
