Alright, buckle up—because this Kristaps Porzingis saga is part health mystery, part salary-cap gymnastics, and now it’s officially part Hawks’ braintrust replaying the tape. Grab your popcorn.

Before Atlanta and Boston shook hands on the final deal—yes, Kristaps Porzingis is now officially a Hawk—there was some serious scouting going on. Shams Charania dropped this bomb quoting a close source: “There’s a lot of research being done… these are all conversations that they’re having… reaching out to Kristaps Porzingis’s representative… see what is going on exactly with Kristaps Porzingis.”

Turns out, Atlanta wanted to be sure whether Porzingis had fully recovered from lingering side effects of a viral illness back in March. After all, the Celtics’ doctors had been living in his medical files. Shams added: “He was dealing with a bunch of side effects from what was a viral illness in March… But there’s going to be a team that’s going to trade for Kristaps Porzingis… that feels like they’re comfortable with how his health is.”

Translation? The Hawks did their homework—including some Zoom calls and text chains with his reps at Excel Sports—before sealing the deal. Meanwhile, other teams (ahem Warriors) were already circling. But Atlanta’s due diligence scored them the prize.

Here’s the kicker: if Golden State re-ups Jonathan Kuminga at $25 million next season, suddenly Steph Curry, Draymond Green, Jimmy Butler, and Kuminga gobble up roughly 106% of the projected cap, even before adding Porzingis to the mix. That’s like trying to put five starters into a four-seater. Eventually, someone’s stuck riding the bench—or you gotta trade them out the driveway.

With a projected payroll of $195.4 million, the Warriors are staring down the hard cap at the first apron, set at $195.9 million — leaving them with less than $0.5 million in breathing room. That razor-thin margin means even the addition of a single veteran minimum deal (typically $2–3 million) could push them over the line. And crossing that threshold isn’t just a minor inconvenience — it triggers a new wave of punitive restrictions, potentially putting them in striking distance of the dreaded second apron and its harsher penalties.

So when rumors swirled that the Warriors were interested in Kristaps Porzingis, you could practically hear the front office shudder. Payroll-wise, even flirting with KP would trigger a chain reaction worse than Klay’s shooting slump, only with more accountants crying.

Porzingis: The All-Star Who Couldn’t Stay Healthy

Let’s dive into his resume. Kristaps Porzingis broke out in 2017-18 with the Knicks as an All-Star. But the sequel? Rough. Torn ACL cost him the entire 2018-19 season. Since then, he’s missed 25-39 games in six of the last seven seasons. And last season he missed the start after offseason ankle surgery, then dealt with a “rare torn medial retinaculum” during the 2024 Finals versus Dallas.

Still, when he was on the court, Porzingis averaged a sturdy 19.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.5 blocks, all in just 42 games. And a career average of 19.6/7.8/1.8 across 500 starts shows he can be a two-way force when healthy—and that’s exactly what the Hawks are betting on.

Atlanta grabbed KP plus a second-round pick. In return, they shipped out Terance Mann and pick No. 22, then flipped him to Boston’s incoming Georges Niang plus another second-rounder. The Hawks—who’ve already got Dyson Daniels, Jalen Johnson, and Zaccharie Risacher—are clearly building a high-upside rebuild. They figure a healthy Kristaps Porzingis gives them both juice and marketability if he rediscovers his 2018 form.

But yes, this means they’re now carrying another big-bodied contract with health questions hovering overhead. Sound familiar? Just ask the Celtics.

Golden State was definitely in on the side conversation. Shams mentioned three to five teams doing their due diligence on Kristaps Porzingis. Warriors execs were curious: Was he fully bounced from that viral funk? Would he be fit for 70 games? Would he fit alongside their splash trio? But financially, it was a no-go before the trade even closed.

If the Dubs had pulled the trigger, they’d have to juggle cap exceptions, stretch moves, or move another big name. That would’ve meant losing someone—and that’s not curry-flavored.

Boston did the Celtics thing—dumping Jrue Holiday, freeing up cap space, and getting killer tax relief. Kristaps Porzingis was their next ticket to financial freedom. By sending him out, they shaved about $30 million off their books and got leaner under the second apron. Shams reports they’re eyeing three or four more moves, likely involving Sam Hauser, to complete the job.

Kristaps Porzingis is now wearing Atlanta red and blue, clasping a fresh second-round pick, and stepping into a room full of promise—and a dash of risk. The Warriors circled, but their wallet and timeline said “not today.” Boston? They needed this cap reboot like Tatum needed that Achilles repair.

For Hawks fans, the KP gamble could pay off big if he stays healthy and lights it up. For the Warriors, it’s a wise avoidance of a payroll trainwreck. And for Kristaps? He’s betting on being the centerpiece, not a side hustle in Golden State’s splash-heavy offense.

Stay tuned: this could be the sleeper blockbuster of next season—or at least the beginning of KP 2.0 in Atlanta.