The Warriors on Monday slid toward Phase II of their planned summer refresh. Unless there is an encouraging medical update they haven’t shared, they run the risk of overpaying.Golden State reached agreement on a two-year contract with Kristaps Porziis worth a reported $40 million. It could be responsible for every dollar, as the second year includes a player option.
Though the Warriors beat the free-agency clock, which starts at 3 p.m. Tuesday, their haste comes with a generous dollop of generosity. They’re waving their wallet at a wish. It’s unlikely that many other NBA teams were preparing to pull up to the free agency bazaar to dig into their pockets and offer Porziis $20 million per year.
Even $15 million per year would be easier to understand, especially if it came with a team option. As is, it’s a lot of cash for a part-time player, even one as talented as Porziis.
The Warriors know what KP can do. They closely observed his audition last season, when he appeared in 15 of their 31 remaining games after acquiring him from the Atlanta Hawks in February in exchange for Jonathan Kuminga.