Warrios GM Mike Dunleavy Jr. addresses trade deadline after Giannis talks, Porzingis move

Golden State Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. spoke Saturday for the first time since the NBA trade deadline, when the franchise tried to go all-in on acquiring Giannis Antetokounmpo before the Milwaukee Bucks pulled the plug on dealing their superstar. 

Dunleavy denied that the team’s pursuit of Antetokounmpo prevented them from making other deals, adding that he was excited about the Warriors’ pivot to acquire Kristaps Porzingis in a deal that sent Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield to Atlanta. 

Porzingis has only played in 17 games this season after being diagnosed with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), as well as recently suffering left Achilles tendinitis. But Porzingis is expected to make his Warriors’ debut after the All-Star break and Dunleavy expressed optimism that the former NBA champion with Boston in 2024 can stay healthy. 

“We feel good about it,” Dunleavy said. “We looked into it pretty in depth. We believe in our medical staff. There’s no guarantees, there’s no certainty. But with where he’s at right now, where he’s been, we feel good about it.”

He added that taking a gamble on Porzingis was worth it. 

“On the other end of it, in terms of what we’re sending out, we’re sending out a player who struggled to stay on the floor,” he said, referring to Kuminga. “From our standpoint, we recognize the risk medically, but it’s a risk we’re willing to take.”

In addition to the Warriors not getting Antetokounmpo, whom they were hoping could extend Steph Curry’s championship window, the biggest fallout of the trade deadline was Draymond Green being involved in trade talks for the Bucks’ superstar. 

Dunleavy staunchly denied Green was on the trading block. 

“His name was not in conversations, other than the ones where teams called me and asked about him, which they do every year,” he said. “So, nothing’s new there. The idea that he stayed with the Warriors past the deadline was greatly exaggerated. It was never a possibility of him not being here or remotely close, to be honest. I’ve conveyed that to him. I think he knows that. But when stuff comes up in the media, it feels different for the players. And I think that’s the first time it happened for Draymond, so he’s dealing with it in a certain way. 

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“But the reality is nothing was close. And nothing was considered. Draymond was not being shopped or talked about in deals, so it’s a little misleading and we’re kinda picking up the pieces here. But I think he’s in a great spot and so are we moving forward.”

Green, however, made it clear on his podcast Saturday morning that he had a different understanding of the situation. Green said that when he and Dunleavy chatted ahead of the deadline, Dunleavy told him, “Obviously, if we were going to do a deal with Giannis you or Jimmy would have to be traded just to make it work.”

“…What it said to me in that moment was there’s a chance I may get traded for Giannis because he didn’t rule it out,” Green said on “The Draymond Green Show.” “He didn’t say we’re not putting you in the deal. So, I took that as, all right, it’ll probably be me.”

As for Dunleavy, when asked if Green wasn’t involved in a potential deal if that meant they were aiming to trade Butler, he balked. “No, no, no we’re not doing that,” he said. “I’m not going down the roster talking about who’s in trades and who’s not.”

The Warriors are now looking toward the summer to make a splashy move.

“We’re willing to do whatever it takes to improve this team, whether it’s young players, first-round picks,” Dunleavy said. “We always have been, we always will be as long as we’re in this win-now window. 

When asked what the expectations are for the Warriors this season, considering Butler is out after suffering a torn ACL on Jan. 19 and Porzingis’ health is a bit of a wild card, he acknowledged he was unsure. 

“I’m interested to see how it goes,” he said. “I think this addition for us could be really good, similar to the addition of Jimmy, how he gave us a boost. I think this is similar, maybe not to that level, we certainly took off. I’m not sure on our expectations just because we have to get healthy.”

The Warriors are still aiming to be in the Antetokounmpo sweepstakes over the summer, joining a long list of teams that are hoping to add him to their roster. 

Either way, looking forward, Dunleavy said the team is ready and willing to give Curry and the league’s modern day dynasty a chance to win a fifth ring if the right trade comes along.