SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — Golden State Warriors center Kristaps Porzingis said Friday he is stepping away from basketball so he can put his health first, ending for now a season in which he has not played a single minute.
In a message on social media, the 7-foot-3 Latvian said his body did not hold up the way he hoped as he tried to ramp up for the year. He stopped short of calling it a retirement and said he wants to work with the Warriors on an outcome that is fair to both sides.
Porzingis disclosed a year ago that he had been diagnosed with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome. The condition first surfaced late in the 2024-25 season, when he was still with Boston.
Golden State brought him in at the February trade deadline in a swap that moved Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield to the Hawks. He appeared in 15 games for the Warriors the rest of the way, putting up 16.1 points and 5.3 rebounds a night.
Over the summer the club gave him a two-year contract worth $40 million, with only $3 million of next season guaranteed. He never joined the team for training camp, and the Warriors have stopped paying his salary while he is away.
Taken fourth overall by the New York Knicks in the 2015 draft, Porzingis has spent 10 seasons in the league with the Knicks, Dallas, Washington, Boston and Golden State. He was a key piece of the Celtics team that won the 2024 title and owns career averages of 19.5 points and 7.6 rebounds.
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