Health comes first for Porzingis
Golden State Warriors center Kristaps Porzingis has announced that he is stepping away from basketball. The big man explained in a social media post on Friday that his body is physically unable to perform at the level he expects of himself.
Porzingis stated that he wanted to show respect to the Warriors while working together on a solution. He wrote that he is doing good, but he knows what it takes and is not where he wants to be physically. He signed a two year contract extension worth 40 million dollars in late June, but his body did not respond well when he tried to prepare for training camp.
Missed training camp and facility departure
The situation began two days before Golden State held their first practice of the season. Porzingis called general manager Mike Dunleavy to inform him that he would not be reporting for practice.
The Warriors allowed him to stay away from the team facility for two weeks before bringing him in for a meeting in early October. Team officials anticipated he would stay around the roster. However, Porzingis chose to leave again after that meeting and has now decided to step away from the NBA entirely. Over his 11 year career, he has suffered multiple leg injuries and has dealt with persistent health issues since contracting a viral illness in Boston two seasons ago.
Financial impact and trade plans
Because he is away from the team, the Warriors are not paying Porzingis his 20 million dollar salary this season. Neither the player nor the players association is contesting the team decision to stop those payments.
Even so, Golden State sources indicate the team has no plans to void his contract. The franchise wants to use his salary package in a potential trade before the February deadline to help improve the roster.
Next steps for the Warriors
Porzingis is open to a trade, which could make his contract appealing to another team wanting to clear salary. Only 3 million dollars of his deal is guaranteed for next season, and he would likely agree to a post trade buyout to save an acquiring team money.
Golden State is focused on building momentum on the court without him. The Warriors have started the season strong with a 6-3 record and are currently riding a six game winning streak as the management explores market options.
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