The Golden State Warriors are dreaming big. They want Giannis. They want LeBron. They want Kawhi.
Who wouldn’t? Those are three of the biggest names in basketball history. But here’s the cold, hard truth: dreams don’t win basketball games. Reality does. And the reality is that Golden State is unlikely to land any of those superstars this offseason.
Giannis will command a trade package that the Warriors simply cannot match. LeBron is all but certain to stay with the Lakers or retire. Kawhi is a possibility, but even that requires a miracle.
So what’s Plan B?
According to Sporting News and Bleacher Report, the Warriors have a very real, very achievable target: Michael Porter Jr. of the Brooklyn Nets.
Let me break down why Porter makes sense, what Golden State would have to give up, and why this “backup plan” might actually be the smartest move Mike Dunleavy Jr. can make.
The Porter Situation: A Star in Brooklyn Who Wants Out
Let’s start with the player.
Michael Porter Jr. just had a breakout season. He’s healthy (for once). He’s scoring. He’s rebounding. He’s playing like the top-10 pick everyone thought he could be. At 28 years old, he’s entering the prime of his career.
But here’s the problem: the Brooklyn Nets are going nowhere.
The Nets don’t control their own 2027 first-round pick. That means they have no incentive to tank. But they also have no incentive to keep Porter, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent after this season.
Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley, citing The Athletic’s John Hollinger, put it perfectly:
*“Back in January, Hollinger reported hearing from ‘trusted league sources’ that Porter was ‘a lock to move by the deadline.’ That obviously didn’t happen, and the Nets might have less incentive to shop him now since they don’t control their 2027 first-round pick and therefore have no incentive to tank.*
That said, Porter is ready to compete right now, and the rest of Brooklyn’s roster is absolutely not. The Nets should still explore the opportunities to sell high on his breakout season, because that route could prove far more profitable than buying high on his next deal (he’ll be an unrestricted free agent after this season).”
Translation: The Nets need to trade Porter now, while his value is at its peak. If they wait, they risk losing him for nothing in free agency.
Why Porter Fits the Warriors
Let me give you three reasons why Michael Porter Jr. is the perfect realistic target for Golden State.
Reason No. 1: Shooting. The Warriors’ offense is built on spacing and three-point shooting. Porter is a career 40% shooter from deep. He can play off the ball. He can catch and shoot. He can rise up over smaller defenders. Next to Stephen Curry, he would be a nightmare.
Reason No. 2: Size and Rebounding. At 6-foot-10, Porter is a mismatch. He can play small forward or power forward. He can grab rebounds and start fast breaks. The Warriors have been killed on the glass for years. Porter helps fix that.
Reason No. 3: Age and Timeline. Curry has maybe two more elite years left. Porter is 28 — right in his prime. He doesn’t need to develop. He doesn’t need to learn. He can contribute immediately. And if the Warriors want to extend the Curry era beyond 2028, Porter is the kind of player you build around.
The Financial Nightmare: Butler or Green Has to Go
Here’s where things get complicated.
Porter makes a lot of money. Not Giannis money, but significant money. To acquire him, the Warriors must send out matching salaries. That means either Jimmy Butler or Draymond Green has to be included in the deal.
Let me lay out the two options.
Option 1: Trade Jimmy Butler.
Butler is recovering from a torn ACL. He’s 37 years old. He’s on an expiring contract. The Nets would be taking a massive gamble that he can return to form. But if Butler opts in, his contract becomes valuable salary ballast. The Warriors could attach picks and young players to make the deal work.
Option 2: Trade Draymond Green.
Green has a player option. If he opts in, he’ll make roughly $27 million. He’s a Warriors legend. He’s the defensive anchor. But he’s also 36 years old and declining offensively. Trading him would be painful, but it might be necessary.
The most likely scenario? A three-team trade where Green goes to a playoff contender, the Nets get young assets and picks, and the Warriors land Porter.
The Young Assets: Podziemski and Santos
Let me talk about the players the Nets would actually want.
Brandin Podziemski is the prize. He’s young. He’s cheap. He’s productive. In just his third season, he was the Warriors’ best player not named Curry or Butler. The Warriors don’t want to trade him. But for a player like Porter? They might have to.
Gui Santos is another intriguing piece. He’s shown flashes. He’s on a rookie contract. He could be a rotation player for the Nets.
And then there are the draft picks. The Warriors have four first-round picks available to trade. The Nets, who don’t control their own 2027 pick, would value those picks highly — especially picks in the post-Curry era, when Golden State is expected to be bad.
The Big Dream: Giannis, LeBron, Kawhi
Let me be honest about the superstars.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is the dream. He’s also the most unrealistic. Every team in the league will offer everything for him. The Bucks will take the best package. The Warriors’ package — Podziemski, four first-round picks, and salary filler — is good, but it’s not the best.
LeBron James is staying with the Lakers. Or retiring. Either way, he’s not coming to Golden State. The Warriors have been linked to him for years, but it’s never happened. It’s not happening now.
Kawhi Leonard is the most realistic of the three. The Clippers might be ready to move on. A trade package for Kawhi would be smaller than for Giannis. And he wouldn’t even have to move out of California. But even that is a long shot.
The Harsh Reality: Porter Might Be the Best They Can Get
Here’s where I land.
The Warriors are not getting Giannis. They are not getting LeBron. They might not even get Kawhi.
But Michael Porter Jr.? That’s achievable. That’s realistic. That’s a player who immediately makes the Warriors better without mortgaging the entire future.
Is Porter a superstar? No. But he’s a high-level starter. He’s a legitimate third option on a championship team. And next to Curry, he would thrive.
The Warriors have to decide: swing for the fences and likely miss, or take the smart, achievable trade and build a competitive roster around Curry for his final years.
What Dunleavy Has Said
Let me remind you what Mike Dunleavy Jr. told the media:
“As far as trade acquisition stuff, I mean, we’re probably always in the conversation, frankly, because we have the draft capital to be. So we’ll always look at stuff, whatever we can do to make the team better that makes sense now and in the future.”
Translation: They’re listening. They’re looking. They’re not desperate, but they’re ready to move.
Porter is the kind of move that makes sense “now and in the future.” He’s young enough to be part of the post-Curry era. He’s good enough to help Curry win now.
Final Verdict: Pull the Trigger
Here’s my honest take.
The Golden State Warriors should trade for Michael Porter Jr. this offseason.
Yes, it means losing either Jimmy Butler or Draymond Green. Yes, it means giving up Podziemski or Santos. Yes, it means using valuable draft picks.
But the alternative is doing nothing — or swinging and missing on a superstar who was never coming.
Porter is 28. He’s healthy. He’s a 40% three-point shooter. He’s 6-foot-10. He fits the Warriors’ system perfectly. And the Nets are motivated to sell.
The Warriors can’t afford to waste another year of Stephen Curry’s prime. They can’t afford to stand pat. They need to make a move.
Michael Porter Jr. isn’t Giannis. He’s not LeBron. He’s not Kawhi. But he might be the best player the Warriors can actually get.
And sometimes, the best move is the one you can actually make.
One thing’s certain: The Warriors are going to be aggressive this offseason. And don’t be surprised if Michael Porter Jr. is wearing blue and gold when training camp opens.