The Golden State Warriors were active at the NBA trade deadline, adding former All-Star center Kristaps Porziņģis to a roster looking to win now. The 30-year-old has yet to take the floor with his new team, but he recently shared an encouraging perspective on playing with the face of the franchise.
Kristaps Porziņģis Shares His Thoughts on Playing With Stephen Curry
Porziņģis is less than two years removed from winning an NBA championship with the Boston Celtics, and he now joins another team with lofty expectations. The Warriors are not among the top teams in the Western Conference, but they remain a difficult matchup come playoff time.
Steve Kerr’s team currently sits at 28-25, holding eighth place in the conference. Stephen Curry is enjoying another strong season and recently earned his 12th All-Star selection.
In a recent interview with Warriors reporters, Porziņģis expressed admiration for his new point guard, explaining why he believes playing alongside Curry will elevate his game.
“Oh, I’ve been a huge fan of Steph for a long time; he knows this,” he said. “Just watching from the outside is unreal, so to play alongside somebody like that will be really cool. And I think it brings the level up for everybody when you have somebody like that on your team.”
“Oh, I’ve been a huge fan of Steph for a long time… Just watching him… He’s unreal. To play alongside somebody like that would be really cool.”
Kristaps Porzingis on being Steph Curry’s new teammate 🙌
(via @joseph_dycus)pic.twitter.com/mim7ptyHxG
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 9, 2026
Porziņģis is expected to make his Warriors debut after the 2026 All-Star break, with a potential return date of Feb. 19, against the Celtics, his former team. The Latvian center is recovering from Achilles tendinitis and an illness that has kept him sidelined since Jan. 7.
Injuries — as well as illnesses — have been a recurring issue throughout Porziņģis’s career, as he has played more than 70 games only once in 10 seasons. If the veteran big man can remain relatively healthy, he could become a vital piece of the roster and potentially serve as the second scoring option behind Curry.
Porziņģis also provides the Warriors with much-needed size and rim protection. However, health remains a concern, and Golden State will need its newest addition to stay on the floor to meet its postseason goals.
Jimmy Butler is out for the season with a torn right ACL, leaving the roster with limited offensive options behind Curry. There is little margin for error, but when this new center and point guard pairing shares the floor, the Warriors should be at their best.
