Steve Kerr has one potential headache that he would rather avoid.
The Golden State Warriors head coach Kerr did not want the team to pursue a trade for Brooklyn Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. last February, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer reported on Wednesday. O’Connor adds that there is also little reason to believe that Kerr wants Porter now.
Porter, the former NBA lottery pick, is coming off a career year in which he averaged 24.2 points, 7.1 assists, and 3.0 assists per game. But this offseason, Porter has emerged as a potential trade candidate for a number of teams, including the Warriors.
That is because Porter is currently facing an uncertain future with the Nets. The 28-year-old forward is entering his final season under contract next year at $40.8 million and has yet to make much progress on an extension with the team. As a result, Porter has recently been the subject of trade rumors.
Golden State needs some extra scoring punch with Jimmy Butler (torn ACL) set to miss a sizable chunk of next season. The Warriors also lost the likes of Pat Spencer and Quinten Post in free agency this summer and have yet to make any meaningful new additions.
That said, Porter remains an enigmatic player who is prone to poor shot selection, defensive lapses, and generally inconsistent play. It does not sound like that is an enigma which Kerr (who recently returned to the Warriors on an interesting new deal) wants to solve at this point.
