The Golden State Warriors are withholding payments to Kristaps Porziņģis on his $20 million salary as he remains away from the team, according to ESPN. Porziņģis signed a two-year, $40 million contract with the Warriors over the summer that included a $3 million guarantee for the 2027-28 season. However, to this point, he has not been able to suit up for the Warriors as he has dealt with undisclosed health problems. Porziņģis has reportedly considered stepping away from basketball altogether, but has not publicized any decisions. Porziņģis does not currently plan to challenge the Warriors on this decision, according to The Athletic.
A spokesperson for the National Basketball Players Association declined to comment when reached by CBS Sports.
Porziņģis has been dealing with health issues since the end of his tenure with the Boston Celtics. He previously disclosed a diagnosis of POTS, or postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, but that diagnosis appears to be in some dispute. Warriors coach Steve Kerr said in a radio interview earlier this year that Atlanta Hawks general manager Onsi Saleh "said it's not actually POTS," but then walked back his comments a few days later.
Porziņģis has been away from the team since late September. He met with general manager Mike Dunleavy and vice president of player health and performance Rick Celebrini in mid-October; after that meeting, the Warriors announced that he would be "around the team," but that has thus far not been the case, at least publicly.
Porziņģis released the following statement on his health in October, later adding, specifically, that he does not have HIV or AIDS.
"Hello people, I'm working with doctors and experts to figure out how to be fully back to good health asap. Honestly, I'm getting better and better. I just have to stay patient, and I believe I'll be feeling great again soon," Porziņģis wrote. "It has definitely been frustrating dealing with some health stuff that you can't exactly pinpoint, on top of injuries throughout my career, so it has added up for sure, but we will get through it. Health is wealth. Thank you for all the support."
NBA players are typically paid regardless of health status, but teams will occasionally withhold salary if they believe the player is in breach of contract. The most notable example occurred between Ben Simmons and the Philadelphia 76ers during the 2021-22 season, when Simmons wanted to be traded. The 76ers maintained that Simmons refused to play in regular-season games and failed to show up for the start of training camp, but Simmons cited his mental health as the reason for his limited engagement with the team. Simmons was eventually traded to the Brooklyn Nets, and he and the 76ers agreed to a settlement that saw Simmons recoup a portion of the withheld salary.
The Warriors are attempting to trade Porziņģis in an effort to utilize his $20 million cap figure. While he would not have trade value as a player given his health status, he is essentially an expiring contract with only that small $3 million guarantee on the books for next season. That could potentially make him valuable to a team looking to move off of longer-term money, or the Warriors could entice another team into a trade using draft picks with Porziņģis serving only as the matching salary.
Golden State has gotten off to a surprisingly successful 5-3 start this season despite Porziņģis' absence, thanks in large part to the stellar performance of Stephen Curry and the emergence of rookie Yaxel Lendeborg as a foundational player. On paper, Porziņģis is exactly the sort of player this roster needs: a center who can shoot 3-pointers to complement Draymond Green, a poor shooting power forward. As it grows increasingly unlikely that Porziņģis will ever suit up for Golden State again, though, a trade is the only real path the Warriors have to making the best of a bad situation.