The front office of the Golden State Warriors deviated from their season-long stance to trade away two young players with higher ceilings for veteran size. It was and remains one of the boldest gambles of the 2026 season with Kristaps Porzingis’ health. Steve Kerr is now making it clear that the move was never intended to be a short-term rescue. Amid a turbulent stretch for the franchise that has seen Stephen Curry sidelined with a knee injury and Jimmy Butler lost for the season to an ACL tear, Kerr outlined the longterm vision for The Unicorn.

Kerr joined 95.7 The Game’s Willard & Dibs to talk about Porzingis’ future during a stretch the Warriors need more star power. Despite the 7’3″ center’s recent battle with an illness, the Warriors are viewing the remaining weeks of the regular season as a vital trial period for a future that they hope includes the Latvian star as a permanent fixture.

“I think the whole point in trading for him a couple of weeks back was, you know, we get the end of this season to make a run, to see what he can do, what we can do with him, and pair him with Steph,” Kerr explained during his Tuesday appearance.

There’s, of course, the contractual elephant in the room. The Atlanta Hawks offloaded their expiring contracts in an attempt to rebuild. Porzingis is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer. The Warriors hold his Bird rights, allowing them to exceed the salary cap to retain him. It could be a factor that plays heavily into their strategic planning.

Kerr emphasized that these last few games in the regular season are a ‘get-to-know-you’ phase for building the chemistry before a lucrative long-term commitment. “He’s our guy, and we get to show what we have to offer him and we get to know each other,” Kerr added. “I think ideally for everybody, he would re-sign and come back healthy and be an important player for us for many years.”

By Kerr’s reckoning, Porzingis won’t just be around for the duration of his contract. The Warriors are apparently invested in his future.

Steve Kerr’s got to see Kristaps Porzingis’ Stephen Curry fit

The acquisition of Kristaps Porzingis on February 4, 2026, marked the end of the Jonathan Kuminga era in San Francisco, as the Warriors sent the young forward and Buddy Hield to the Atlanta Hawks in a straight player exchange. This pivot effectively ended the two-timelines strategy and signaled a move toward a “win-now” campaign.

Porzingis’ addition specifically aimed at finding a rim-protecting big man who could stretch the floor in ways Kerr’s system has lacked for the longest time. Obviously, when they acquired him, Jimmy Butler had just been ruled out, and they didn’t know Stephen Curry would be sidelined with a runner’s knee for an indefinite period. The only way to know if The Unicorn has a longterm future in the Bay is to see him play with Curry.

Kerr was adamant that the Warriors would not treat Porzingis with kid gloves just because of his impending free agency. Instead, they will focus on his adaptation to a star point guard. “I just want him to feel what’s real, and I think… he’s getting that opportunity, but of course, until you’ve really played with Steph, you don’t really get the perfect feel for what the Warriors are all about,” Kerr insisted.

According to Kerr, the ultimate goal is to get Porzingis on the floor with Curry as soon as possible to solidify that connection. “And so we look forward to getting Kristaps some experience with Steph and feeling that vibe, feeling our crowd at Chase, cheering for the team, and hopefully that’s going to happen before too long.”

While critics have pointed to Porzingis’ limited availability that has predated the trade and made him available only a handful of games since the trade due to health issues (reportedly related to postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome), his impact when on the court has been undeniable. In a recent victory over the Washington Wizards, Porzingis flashed his elite skills by scoring 30 points and recording three blocks in just 26 minutes, demonstrating exactly why the Warriors front office was willing to move on from Kuminga’s potential.

The stakes for this plan are exceptionally high as the Warriors are hoping for a star lineup next season when Jimmy Butler returns. Currently, they navigate a difficult Western Conference playoff race without Curry. The team is desperate to see the Curry-Porzingis duo in action before the offseason begins.

The financial implications are equally complex. If Porzingis continues to perform at an All-Star level down the stretch, his market value could soar, forcing the Warriors to decide between a massive contract extension or losing the primary asset from their deadline blockbuster. However, Kerr’s comments suggest that the organization has already seen enough to believe that Porzingis is the missing piece to extend the championship window of their aging core.