Pass a copy of a GameObject as variable to another script?

Hello... I'm trying to set up a teleport system that destroys the original object and then spawns a clone of that object at the exit portal.

I don't want to just instantiate a prefab, as I want to keep changes to the object that happen during gameplay, and I don't want to simply move the object, because I have a spawner object that has a few useful functions like a delay and clearing the area of obstructions, etc.

I want to pass the object in its current state as a variable, destroy the original, then have the spawner instantiate a clone after a delay.

However, I'm getting the error: "MissingReferenceException: The object of type 'GameObject' has been destroyed but you are still trying to access it. Your script should either check if it is null or you should not destroy the object."

Here is the code for my warp entrance object:

 #pragma strict
 
 var on : boolean = true;
 var teleportTarget : GameObject;
 var ballSpawn : GameObject;
 var yieldBefore : float = 00;
 var yieldAfter : float = 00;
 var preserveVelocity : boolean = true;
 var holdDuringDelay : boolean = true;
 var affectTag : String = "Ball";
 private var teleporting : boolean = false;
 private var teleportedObject : GameObject;
 private var initialPosition : Vector3;
 private var incomingVelocity : Vector3;
 
 function Start ()
     {
     
     }
 
 function Update ()
     {
     if (teleporting && holdDuringDelay)
         {
         teleportedObject.transform.position = initialPosition;
         }
     }
 
 function OnTriggerEnter(objectCollision : Collider)
     {
     if ((objectCollision.gameObject.tag == affectTag) && (teleportedObject != objectCollision.gameObject) && (on))
         {
         initialPosition = objectCollision.gameObject.transform.position;
         incomingVelocity = objectCollision.gameObject.rigidbody.velocity;
         teleport(objectCollision.gameObject);
         }
     }
     
 function teleport(object : GameObject)
     {
         teleporting = true;
         teleportedObject = object;
         yield WaitForSeconds(yieldBefore);
         var instantiatedObject = Instantiate(ballSpawn, teleportTarget.transform.position, teleportTarget.transform.rotation);
         if (instantiatedObject.GetComponentInChildren(BallSpawn))
             {
             instantiatedObject.GetComponentInChildren(BallSpawn).spawnOnStart = true;
             instantiatedObject.GetComponentInChildren(BallSpawn).ball = teleportedObject;
             instantiatedObject.GetComponentInChildren(BallSpawn).spawnDelay = this.yieldAfter;
             instantiatedObject.GetComponentInChildren(BallSpawn).destroyAfterSpawn = true;
             if (preserveVelocity)
                 {
                 instantiatedObject.GetComponentInChildren(BallSpawn).spawnWithVelocity = this.incomingVelocity;
                 }
             }
         teleportedObject = null;
         teleporting = false;
         DestroyOriginal(object);
     }
     
 function DestroyOriginal(object : GameObject)
     {
     Destroy(object);
     }

Thanks in advance, smart people.