Golden State Warriors big man Kristaps Porzingis announced Friday that he has “decided to prioritize my health and step away from the game I love” as he continues to deal with mysterious health issues. It is unclear when or if Porziņģis, 31, will return to the court.
Porziņģis has not played for the Warriors this season, and reports earlier this week indicated that the team withholds payments from him. He signed a two-year, $40 million contract with the Warriors in free agency this summer, but only $3 million is guaranteed in the second year of the deal.
Here is Porziņģis’ full statement announcing his decision to retire from basketball:
I was really looking forward to racing this group this season, but as I progressed, my body didn’t react the way I expected.
I’m doing well, but I know what it takes and I’m not where I want to be to perform at the level I expect of myself. At this point, I decided to prioritize my health and walk away from the game I love.
In this situation, I want to show the Golden State Warriors my utmost respect and work with them to find a solution that makes sense.
I thank my family and friends for always being with me. Thank you all so much for your support.
Porziņģis’ career has been defined by health problems. He has only played more than 57 games three times since being drafted No. 4 overall by the New York Knicks in 2015 and has dealt with significant injuries, including a torn ACL that cost him the entire 2018-19 season. In recent years, he has been limited by this mysterious ailment, which has become a problem for Boston in the 2024-25 season.
Porziņģis began dealing with extreme fatigue and had previously been diagnosed with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, or POTS, which is characterized by rapid changes in heart rate when a person stands up and can cause exhaustion and dizziness.
“You know how people say, ‘Oh, I’m so tired.’ I’ve never used those words. I don’t even like to say those words, but I really was,” Porziņģis said before last season. “Then I could just lay on the couch and be a house cat.”
Porziņģis has been away from the Warriors since September
Porziņģis played a total of 74 games in the last three seasons with the Celtics, Atlanta Hawks and Warriors. He has been away from the Warriors since late September He made his previous statement in mid-October shut down rumors that he had been diagnosed with HIV or AIDS. At the time, the Warriors said Porziņģis would be sidelined indefinitely.
“Hello people, I am working with doctors and specialists to find out how to get back to health as soon as possible. To be honest, I am getting better. I just have to be patient and I believe I will feel great soon,” Porziņģis wrote. “On top of injuries throughout my career, it’s definitely been frustrating dealing with some health issues that you can’t pinpoint, so that added confidence, but we’ll get through it. Health is wealth. Thanks for all the support.”
The Warriors hoped Porziņģis would play a big role as a big floor spacer this season, especially with Jimmy Butler (torn ACL) and Moses Moody (torn patellar tendon) sidelined. Instead, it seems more likely that he will never play for the franchise again.
As Sam Quinn of CBS Sports explained, the Warriors tried to trade Porziņģis to take advantage of his $20 million price tag:
While he may not have trade value as a player given his health, he’s a contract that ends with only a paltry $3 million guaranteed on the books for next season. That could potentially make him valuable to a team looking to cash out longer-term, or the Warriors could lure Porziņģis to another team in a trade using draft picks that serve only as matching salary.
Kristaps Porziņģis trade directions: Three suitable moves the Warriors could make to improve their roster
Sam Quinn
Despite Porziņģis’ absence, the Warriors are off to a 6-3 start, placing them in seventh place in the extremely crowded Western Conference standings. Rookie big man Yaxel Lendeborg stepped up in place of Porziņģis and provided a big boost on both ends of the floor.
Through nine games, Lendeborg is averaging 21 points, 7.1 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.1 steals while shooting 49.2% from the field, including 39.6% from 3-point range.