The Golden State Warriors do not expect Kristaps Porziņģis to play for them again. ESPN’s Anthony Slater reported that “team sources continue to express an extreme level of pessimism that Porziņģis will ever play for the Warriors again.” No trade has been announced, and Porziņģis has not said he intends to retire.
Golden State acquired Porziņģis from the Atlanta Hawks during the 2025-26 season, in the trade that ended Jonathan Kuminga’s five seasons with the franchise and also sent Buddy Hield to Atlanta. Porziņģis signed a two-year, $40 million extension in June. Only $3 million of the $20 million in the second season is guaranteed, which makes it effectively an expiring contract.
On Oct. 21, Side Eye Sports covered ESPN’s report that Golden State had begun exploring trade routes for the center. Citing Shams Charania’s sources, ESPN reported that Porziņģis remains out indefinitely as he deals with a private health issue that has him seriously contemplating his future in basketball.
According to Slater, “Ever since Porziņģis called out of work one day prior to training camp, the front office instructed Steve Kerr to strategize and prep his team as if Porziņģis was a nonfactor.” Slater also reported that Porziņģis has not returned to the team’s facilities, and that the organization has changed his official status from “general illness” to “not with team.”
Slater added that the Warriors could cite the absence as “a failure to render his services” in order to potentially void the contract. For now, he reported, “the Warriors are showing a willingness to remain patient with the Porziņģis contract and let the market materialize, league sources said.” The team has said publicly that it is not anticipating him being around the team in the immediate future.
The Contract Has Become the Asset
The June extension was built flat: $20 million in each of the two seasons, with no raise. Under the collective bargaining agreement, a veteran extension carries a six-month trade restriction only if it runs more than four seasons, pays more than 120% of the player’s prior salary, or raises salary by more than 5%. A flat two-year deal trips none of those, so Porziņģis stayed tradable immediately.
Golden State gave itself an exit before it knew it would need one. The contract it signed as a bet on a healthy center is now useful mainly as salary to match in a trade, which is the one realistic route Side Eye Sports has argued it has.
How useful depends partly on Porziņģis. Slater reported that if he proves willing to give back a large chunk of money in a buyout, the expiring $20 million deal could become more financially appealing to other teams. The Warriors can afford to wait, but his decisions will set most of the deal’s value.
Nothing Moves Until Porziņģis Decides
None of the reporting gives a date for a trade or a buyout, and the team has not set one publicly. Until something changes, Porziņģis stays listed as not with the team.
Sources: Anthony Slater and Shams Charania of ESPN
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