Can you believe Kristaps Porzingis was rated as one of the best players in the NBA last season? This is true. Porzingis ranked 50th in the league in Estimated Plus-Minus and nearly cracked the top-25 in LEBRON, a pair of metrics that measure a player’s impact with some luck adjustments and built-in player tracking data. Each all-in-one stat will have blind spots and need to play with a great team for both seasons, Atlanta Hawks and Golden State Warriors – 32 total games were better with him on the court and this is not a coincidence.
Porzingis showed the world just how good he can be in the Boston Celtics’ run to the 2024 NBA championship, when his combination of outside shooting and perimeter defense made him the rare center who can maximize the floor without falling too far behind the defense. Porzingis’ effectiveness hasn’t been in much question since his career-defining season in Boston, but his presence has been. Unfortunately, Porzingis is out for the Warriors as they begin the 2026-27 season, and now the team seems ready to move on without him.
The Warriors are exploring trade packages for Porzingis, who is dealing with POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome), a nervous system disorder that causes dizziness, brain fog, chronic fatigue and other unwanted symptoms. According to ESPN insider Shams Charania, Porzingis “thinks his future is in basketball.”
Speculation about Porzingis’ widespread health problems, which stretch into the Celtics’ 2024 playoff run, has gotten so out of hand that the 31-year-old was forced to issue a pair of statements last week clarifying that he does not have AIDS or HIV. Now, his NBA career could be over as the Warriors scramble for a backup plan.
The bigger story here is the premature end of Porzingis’ career due to health issues completely out of his control. It’s a pretty sad turn of events for such a talented player who showed so much promise early in his career and seemed to find value again after being traded to the Washington Wizards in 2022. It’s also deeply disappointing news for the Warriors, as it will be difficult to find another player who can add to his future prowess. in other deals.
Which team can trade an expired player? Porzingis’ contract could still make him valuable in the league depending on several factors. He has just $3 million guaranteed for next season, but is valued at $20 million in a trade. If another team wants to dump a player they don’t want on the books with long-term money, they may be incentivized to trade for Porzingis and cut him for $3 million next season.
Let’s say the Milwaukee Bucks decide they want to offload Myles Turner, who is entering the second season of a four-year, $109 million contract. The Warriors could get Turner, the Bucks could get Porzingis, and then Milwaukee could waive him to save some money. The Chicago Bulls could make a similar trade around Patrick Williams, who has three years left on his contract as this season begins.
The Turner idea in particular might sound good in theory, but it takes two sides to make a deal, and the Warriors don’t have much leverage. Golden State’s only real backup center is 40-year-old Al Horford. Charles Bassey is also around, but he’s never really trusted in more than a small role. Losing Quentin Post to the Memphis Grizzlies over the summer was a tough blow, and now the Warriors seem completely out of options in the frontcourt unless they want to part with a meaningful asset.
With 15 players already on the roster, the solution to the team’s center problem is “hey, it’s not that simple, let’s go find someone new,” says Warriors CEO Mike Dunleavy. Golden State is now without Jimmy Butler as he recovers from a torn ACL and Moses Moody works his way back from a torn patellar tendon. That’s a $90 million salary that’s not at the start of the year.
That’s no way to build around a 38-year-old Stephen Curry. Rookie forward Yaxel Lendeborg looks amazing, but it’s hard to win without a reliable center, and the Warriors are immediately put at a disadvantage.
This is a fury of a story. Let’s hope Porzingis can find peace after basketball, if that’s really what it’s all about for his career.