Kristaps Porziņģis Steps Away From Basketball, Leaving the Warriors With Open Questions

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The Warriors center announced Friday that he is stepping away to prioritize his health. He did not say he is retiring, and he wants to work with Golden State on a resolution to his $40 million contract.

Celtics Champion Kristaps Porzingis Makes Painful NBA Decision at Just 31 — Yahoo Sports

Golden State Warriors center Kristaps Porziņģis announced Friday, Nov. 6, that he is stepping away from basketball to prioritize his health. The 31-year-old made the announcement in a post on X. He has not played since the April play-in tournament and has missed the start of this season.

"This season I was really looking forward to running it with this group, but as I ramped up, my body didn't respond the way I anticipated," he wrote. "I'm doing good, but I know what it takes, and I'm not where I want to be to perform at the level that I expect from myself. At this point, I've made the decision to prioritize my health and step away from the game I love."

He did not name the health issue, and he did not say he is retiring. Reports on the announcement described his future as unresolved.

A Statement That Leaves the Door Ajar

Porziņģis closed his statement by addressing the franchise directly. "In this situation, I want to show the utmost respect for the Golden State Warriors and work with them to find a solution that makes sense," he wrote.

The wording points to a negotiation still to come, though neither side has said what a solution might look like. It also comes after months of uncertainty. The Warriors announced in late September that he would be out indefinitely with a health issue and would not travel with the team to Hawaii for training camp. They reiterated on Oct. 14 that he would remain out indefinitely. Ahead of this week's announcement, Porziņģis had been in contact with the team's medical personnel, according to AFP.

Steve Kerr reveals private exchange with Kristaps Porzingis after indefinite basketball break — Yahoo Sports

The team has described the issue only as a "general illness," according to ESPN. Porziņģis has previously disclosed a diagnosis of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, or POTS, in 2025. He did not mention it Friday, and it has not been confirmed whether the condition is related to his current situation.

The Contract Question

The financial side is the most unsettled part of the story. Golden State acquired Porziņģis from Atlanta in February, and he played 15 games for the Warriors, averaging 16.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists. The team then signed him in late June to a two-year, $40 million contract. It had fully expected him to be ready for this season.

That expectation has not held up. Earlier this week, ESPN's Shams Charania and Anthony Slater reported that the Warriors had stopped making the semimonthly payments on his $20 million salary for this season. Their reporting, as relayed by Yahoo Sports, added that the team had no current plans to void the contract, citing a desire to maintain trade flexibility. Separate reports said the players' association did not plan to dispute the decision.

Those details leave the contract in an unusual state. It is still on the books, and the player is not being paid. If Porziņģis does not return, the two sides will have to find some arrangement. The statement's call for a "solution that makes sense" suggests both are aware of that, though what it might involve is speculation at this point.

A Rotation Already Rebuilt

On the court, the practical effect is smaller than the symbolic one, because the Warriors have been planning without him for weeks. Coach Steve Kerr had said he envisioned a five-out offense built around Porziņģis. When the center did not report, Kerr shifted toward smaller lineups, and Draymond Green has been starting at center.

The adjustment has worked so far. Golden State opened 0-3 and has since won seven straight to reach 7-3, the latest a 126-119 overtime win over Orlando on Saturday night. That run means Friday's news removes a player the team was not counting on this month. It does, however, end any hope of the spacing and rim protection of a 7-foot-2 center who averaged 19.5 points and 7.6 rebounds over his career, at least for the foreseeable future. The Warriors will have to decide whether the current small-ball group can sustain this form over a full season and whether to add size elsewhere.

Kerr addressed the situation before Saturday night's home game against Orlando. "We texted the other day," he told reporters. "Obviously, wish him well and hoping for the best for him. He's made his decision, and there's not a whole lot else to say." The tone was warmer than earlier in the week, when Kerr said he had not been given an official explanation for Porziņģis's absence and had not asked for one.

A Career at a Crossroads

Porziņģis was the No. 4 pick by the New York Knicks in 2015. Golden State is his sixth team in 11 seasons, following stops in Dallas, Washington, Boston and Atlanta. He won a championship with the Celtics in 2024, and the Warriors had hoped he would restore that level of production.

His statement reads as a decision about the present rather than a farewell. He says he is not at the level he demands of himself, and he has not ruled out coming back. For Golden State, the immediate task is managing a roster that has found its footing without him. The longer-term task is working out what the contract means for a player whose own timeline is unclear.

Until Porziņģis or the Warriors say more, the central facts are limited to a player stepping away, a salary on hold and a team that is winning without him.

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