Kristaps Porzingis said the trade that sent him to the Golden State Warriors caught him completely off guard, describing the moment he found out as unexpected and sudden. The center spoke Saturday, February 7, during his introductory press conference with the franchise.
“I had no idea. It was a surprise and was late at night too, so right before sleep, so it was a surprise to me,” Porzingis said.
Despite the timing, Porzingis said his reaction quickly shifted once he learned the destination. “Excited as always, you know. Especially once I found out where I’m going,” he said. “Knowing that also like Al is here… and always like the fan base here. Pretty strong fan base from the outside.”
Golden State acquired Porzingis from the Atlanta Hawks at the February 5 trade deadline in exchange for Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield. The move addressed a long-standing need for a frontcourt player who can protect the rim and stretch the floor.
Health remains a central storyline, and Porzingis said his current focus is building up carefully before returning to game action. “It was a good workout. Building slowly back up,” he said. “Because once I start playing, I want to like hit the ground running.”
Porzingis expressed confidence in his ability to fit into Steve Kerr’s offensive system, which emphasizes shooting, passing and movement. “I think it will be pretty natural,” he said. “I feel like I’m the type of player that can fit into any kind of offense.”
The veteran center acknowledged that adjustment takes time but pointed to the experience level in the locker room. “These guys are very experienced. They’ve played at the high level for a long time,” Porzingis said. “So I believe it’ll be it’ll be easy.”
Asked about concerns surrounding durability, Porzingis remained firm in his belief. “I am confident that I will,” he said. “I will do everything right and I believe I will.”
Porzingis is on an expiring contract, though he said that situation will not influence his approach. “No, of course no,” he said. “I just want to finish the year really strong on a new team, new chapter.”
The reunion with Al Horford was another factor Porzingis highlighted. “He will be probably, you know, who’s going to help me like settle in even more here,” he said.
Porzingis also spoke about the opportunity to play alongside Stephen Curry and Draymond Green. “I’ve been a huge fan of Steph for a long time,” he said. “To play alongside somebody like that will be really cool.”
Regarding Green, Porzingis added, “Draymond’s always been one of the toughest guys for me to play against… so to have him on my side now, it’s going to be pretty cool.”
Porzingis said he is targeting a return shortly after the All-Star break. “Yeah, that’s the goal,” he said.
