GM Mike Dunleavy’s post-deadline Warriors unpacking press conference

LOS ANGELES – There’s a lot to unpack Golden State Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy’s loaded press conference after the NBA trade deadline, which makes sense in the context of how active the team was at the deadline, how important it was to their short-term and long-term future, and the moves they made and didn’t make. But to sum up how Dunleavy feels about the Warriors’ moves at the deadline, it’s safe to say he feels good about how the team positioned itself.

“We feel good about what we’ve done,” Dunleavy began his reporter. “Adding Kristaps, for sure, adding a second-round pick, doing some things for the summer, looking at that and some things that can help us … We’re excited about our additions here, so we’re looking forward to getting KP on board and moving forward.”

To recap the Warriors trade deadline, Golden State struck in pursuit of Giannis Antetokounmpodeal Hield for the Atlanta Hawkssent Trace Jackson-Davis to the Toronto Raptors for the Lakers’ 2026 second-round pick and signed two-way Pat Spencer to a standard contract. They saved their picks at the cost of not adding a superstar for a trade Jimmy Butlertraded a DNP catcher for a player who can be elite if healthy, and took care of side jobs.

Lots of actions that ultimately didn’t change the team all that much, but have heavy implications for the future of the Warriors. Namely, is the addition of Porzingis enough to stay in the competition? Are they confident he can stay healthy? And what about their plans for the summer? Will he still follow Antetokounmpo or other stars? A lot on Dunleavy’s plate that he did and didn’t answer.

Dunleavy’s odd push back Draymond Green business talk

It has been well reported that franchise legend Draymond Green has been in trade talks for Antetokounmpo. Green himself said on his podcast that Dunleavy told him it would have to be him or Butler in the deal.

“What it told me at that point was there was a chance they could trade me for Giannis, because he didn’t rule it out,” Green said on his show. “He didn’t say, ‘We’re not putting you in the deal.’ So I took it as, okay, it’s probably going to be me.”

But Dunleavy pushed back on the notion that Green was ever in trade talks.

“His name hasn’t been in the conversation other than the ones where teams call me and ask about him, which they do every year, so it’s nothing new there,” Dunleavy said. “The idea that he ‘stayed with the Warriors past the deadline’ was greatly exaggerated. There was never a possibility that he wouldn’t be here, to be honest, and I conveyed that to him.”

“It’s a little bit wrong, and we’re kind of picking up the pieces here, but I think he’s in a great position, so we’re moving forward.”

Things got even weirder when a reporter went on to point out that if Green wasn’t in trade talks, did that mean they weren’t close in their pursuit of Antetokounmpo, to which Dunleavy responded, “Well, you’re putting words in my mouth, so that’s an incredible assumption.

When asked if that meant Butler was on the table instead of Green, given that either Green or Butler would have to be traded to get Antetokounmpo, Dunleavy cut short a barrage of questions.

“No, no, no,” Dunleavy said. “We don’t do that. I don’t go (through) the list of who’s in business and who’s not. We don’t do that.”

It was a rare moment of fire and inconsistency for the CEO, given the reports that were out there. Given how inconsistent Dunleavy has been, it calls into question the Warriors’ willingness to go all-in for Antetokounmpo. It’s also unclear who they were more willing to part with between Green and Butler.

Mike Dunleavy dismissed the idea of ​​shopping Draymond Green at the deadline:

“His name wasn’t in the conversations other than the ones where teams called me and asked about him. … There was never a possibility that he wouldn’t be here.”

He also declined to buy Butler. pic.twitter.com/IBkilCJvmJ

— Kenzo Fukuda (@kenzofuku) February 8, 2026

Dunleavy was far less combative when asked about the addition of Porzingis and his health history. Over the past two seasons, Porzingis has played in just 59 total games, dealing with several lower-extremity injuries as well as Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS). When healthy, the big man has shown a ceiling capable of swinging NBA titles, as shown by his dominant NBA Finals in 2024. But being healthy has been huge for Porzingis, making him even more attainable.

But Dunleavy is confident in the risk they are taking on Porzingis.

“We feel good about it; we’ve looked at it pretty thoroughly,” Dunleavy said. “We have faith in our medical staff. There’s no guarantees, there’s no certainty, but given where he’s at right now, where he’s been, we feel good about it. And you know, the other end of that, in terms of what we’re sending, we’re sending a player in a similar boat who has struggled to stay on the floor. So I mean, we recognize that from our medical risk standpoint, but we recognize that from a medical risk standpoint. We’re willing to take it.”

That middle section was a bit of a dig for Cummings, who has had his share of injuries this season, including a bone bruise he’s currently dealing with. But Dunleavy’s optimism about risk is simple. The Warriors got nothing from Kuminga. If they don’t get anything from Porzingis, that’s neutral based on what Kuminga gave them. But if he stays healthy, he has a real chance to help Golden State.

“I think this addition could be really good for us,” Dunleavy noted. “Similar to adding Jimmy, the way he gave us a boost. I think this is similar, maybe not at that level.”

Housekeeping points and other gems

Dunleavy reiterated the team-building philosophy he has expressed in the past. They are willing to use whatever it takes to keep Curry’s window open. Whether it’s their prized pick after Curry, young talent, old talent, variable salary, whatever, they’re willing to deal. But as Dunleavy has said in the past, it has to be the right kind of target. That’s why he’s happy with the Porzingis trade — a high-performing expiring contract that they didn’t have to spend picks or real assets on.

On a smaller scale, he also expressed The Warriors’ excitement about getting Spencer a standard contractsaying that clearing roster spots has been an emphasis for him this deadline. And with one more roster spot available thanks to the departure of three players and only one returning player, he expects the Warriors to explore the buyout market. Lonzo Ball is one name that straddles those lines. So overall, Dunleavy publicly feels like they’re in a good place.

But it’s also important to point out, in terms of how he feels about the Warriors’ trades at the deadline, that Dunleavy doesn’t feel the pursuit of Antetokounmpo has affected the possibility of making other trades.

“I don’t think so,” Dunleavy said briskly when asked about it. “Because we ended up making a move here to get Kristaps, so for that reason, like, I guess it didn’t affect anything.”

That’s Dunleavy’s opinion, but it’s hard to believe. The Porzingis trade was a late turnaround from the Warriors as they conserved their assets in hopes that a deal could be done with the Bucks. Ramona Shelburne reported that they were investigated the deal for Jaren Jackson Jr., but delayed the discussion to make picks available to acquire Antetokounmpo. It is certainly an example of how that pursuit affected their trade goals.

A loaded Dunleavy presser at the trade deadline.