The Golden State Warriors are had one of the more surprising first halves of any team in the NBA. They currently have a record of 19-18, sitting ninth place in the Western Conference. Normally, that would be outside the playoff picture, but this year, the NBA changed things up.
10 teams from each conference will make the postseason. The 7-10 seeded teams will take part in a play-in to get into the regular 8-team field. Golden State is right in the thick of things, 3.5 games clear of the 11th place New Orleans Pelicans.
The Warriors have been carried throughout the season by point guard, Stephen Curry. He has returned to MVP level performance after injuries derailed him last season. With him and Draymond Green in the lineup, they are competitive every night, but they could use some more firepower.
The Golden State front office knows they aren’t true contenders this season. However, they could still upgrade the roster this season if the opportunity presents itself.
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According to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer, the Warriors are expected to show interest in Otto Porter Jr. if he is bought out by the Chicago Bulls.
Porter has battled injuries since being acquired by the Bulls from the Washington Wizards, appearing in only 45 games since February 6th, 2019, which is when he was acquired. His skill set would be one that would fit in with Golden State.
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Porter has turned into a lethal 3-point shooter after some early career struggles, knocking down 40.4 percent of his career attempts. 2020-21 is the fourth season in his career that he is on pace to clear 40-percent from the 3-point line.
The former Georgetown product also offers some versatility in the frontcourt and would give Steve Kerr another weapon to deploy in his small-ball lineups or surround rookie center James Wiseman with.
Chicago could very well decide to just let Otto Porter Jr.’s contract run out, as he is a free agent this season and they are in the midst of the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference themselves. Alas, if he does reach the open market, expect the Warriors to be at the front of the line to sign him.
