The Golden State Warriors have started exploring trade options for centre Kristaps Porzingis, who remains away from the team while dealing with a health issue, league sources told ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Porzingis was listed as out for Golden State’s season opener against the Los Angeles Lakers, which tips off at 1pm AEDT on Thursday, with the reason given as “not with team”, ESPN reported.
If there is no breakthrough in his recovery, stepping away from basketball for good is possible, sources told Charania.
Leave of absence
Porzingis told general manager Mike Dunleavy on the Sunday before training camp that he would take an indefinite leave of absence, and he missed all of camp and the preseason. He met Dunleavy and the club’s lead medical decision-maker, Rick Celebrini, last week, but has not returned to the team’s facility since, league sources said.
He contracted an upper respiratory virus two seasons ago while playing for the Boston Celtics, and has described its lingering effects as a POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome) diagnosis, according to ESPN.
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“It has definitely been frustrating dealing with some health stuff that you can’t exactly pinpoint, on top of injuries throughout my career,” Porzingis wrote in a post on X last week. “So it has added up for sure, but we will get through it.”
A contract built to be traded
Porzingis signed a two-year, US$40 million extension with Golden State in June, but only US$3 million of the US$20 million second season is guaranteed, effectively making it an expiring contract. The deal was structured without a raise between the two seasons, so he is trade-eligible now instead of having to wait until mid-December.
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Warriors management had pencilled him in as the starting centre alongside Draymond Green and rookie Yaxel Lendeborg after he played 15 of the club’s final 20 games last season.
ESPN said it is unclear what trade market his contract would attract so early in the season, but the Warriors still hold nearly all of their first-round picks and several expiring contracts. Dunleavy has said publicly that the roster was built to allow for an in-season trade if the right deal can be found.
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