Warriors' Porzingis to 'step away' from NBA to prioritize his health — SkimNews
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- Kristaps Porzingis announced Friday that he is stepping away from basketball because his body cannot play at the level to which he is accustomed; the announcement is not an official retirement.
- Golden State Warriors can still use Porzingis’s $20 million salary in a trade before February’s deadline, although the team has not been delivering his salary payments and neither he nor the players’ association is contesting that decision.
- Kristaps Porzingis signed a two-year, $40 million extension with Golden State in late June and said he intended to play this season, but his body did not respond when he tried to ramp up for training camp.
- Kristaps Porzingis called general manager Mike Dunleavy two days before the Warriors’ first practice and said he would not report; after staying away for two weeks and attending an early-October meeting, he left the team again.
- Golden State Warriors have no plan to void Porzingis’s contract and are surveying the league’s yet-to-materialize trade market; the team has opened 6-3 with an ongoing six-game win streak.
- Kristaps Porzingis is amenable to a trade, only $3 million is guaranteed on his deal next season, and the expectation is that he would be open to a post-trade buyout saving a team more than $3 million.
- Kristaps Porzingis has dealt with persistent health issues after a viral illness in Boston two seasons ago and several leg injuries during an otherwise productive 11-year career.
Why it matters: Golden State can trade Porzingis’s $20 million salary before February’s deadline even though he has stepped away, and the club has no plan to void his contract. With only $3 million guaranteed next season and the expectation that he would be open to a post-trade buyout saving more than $3 million, the Warriors retain a roster lever despite his absence.
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