The Golden State Warriors have been without star big man Kristaps Porzingis since the start of the season. As the Latvian player remains out indefinitely, the team reportedly will not pay his contract through the first two weeks of the year.
Porzingis has been sidelined as he continues to deal with the lingering effects of the POTS illness he picked up a few years ago, and as he’s been away from the Warriors, Golden State is sending a strong message to the 31-year-old, as he hasn’t been getting paid the $20 million he was set to be owed this season.
The news comes after previous reports about the Warriors attempting to trade Porzingis, and while he still remains out indefinitely, Golden State could be closer to making a move, as it is quickly becoming clear he doesn’t have a long-term future in the Bay Area.
Warriors Make Massive Kristaps Porzingis Contract Decision
According to Shams Charania, the Warriors have not been paying Porzingis so far this year due to him not playing or being with the team so far.
“The Warriors are not delivering payments to Kristaps Porzingis on his $20 million salary, ruling that he is not rendering services, sources tell me and @anthonyVslater,” he wrote in a post on X.
Porzingis signed a new deal with the Warriors this summer, but as Charania recently reported, he isn’t getting any of the $20 million he was set to be owed this season.
“When a player refuses to play or is away from the team without organizational approval, the team has the right to withhold portions of their salary or place funds into an escrow account. That is what is happening with Kristaps Porzingis and the Warriors, as the team will continue to explore the trade market over the next few months,” NBA reporter Brett Siegel added about the situation. “In doing so, any team that trades for Porzingis can immediately buy him out, essentially moving off a bigger, unwanted contract to absorb Porzingis, who will very likely retire.”
This comes after Golden State is reportedly upset with the star big man, who has been away from the team and remains out indefinitely.
“We were definitely caught off guard by it in that we were in communication with him over the summer, and it seemed like everything was in a good place right up until training camp, and then obviously things went south,” head coach Steve Kerr said. “Since the start of camp, when he was not here and we had to move forward, I haven’t given it a whole lot of thought to be honest, because we’re just busy. We have to take every single day and get our team ready for the next game.”
The Warriors have won five games in a row, and after a 0-3 start, aren’t looking like they are missing Porzingis.
However, amid the reporting about his contract, it is becoming clearer that the team is attempting to trade the big man in hopes of a roster upgrade.
Golden State Trade Rumors On Star Big Man
In his post about the Warriors not paying Porzingis’ contract, Charania offered an update on where a potential trade stands.
“Golden State is permitted to move his contract at any point before the Feb. 11 deadline even without paying him currently, and will continue exhausting trade avenues as the 31-year-old leans toward ending his NBA career. Absorbing Porzingis’ near-expiring deal would allow a rival team to move a salary out and save money and clear a roster spot via a buyout.”
This comes a few weeks after the top NBA insider reported that Golden State is exploring trade options for the 31-year-old.
“Golden State has started exploring trade routes for Kristaps Porzingis, who is now seriously contemplating his future in basketball as he deals with recurring symptoms from the autoimmune condition termed as POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome), sources tell ESPN,” Shams Charania wrote in a post on X.
“Porzingis signed a two-year, $40 million extension with the team in June, but only $3 million of the $20 million in the second season is guaranteed, essentially making it an expiring contract. The front office strategically designed the extension without a raise between the two seasons, keeping him immediately trade-eligible instead of needing to wait until mid-December,” ESPN’s Anthony Slater wrote in subsequent reporting.
It remains to be seen what Porzingis’ trade market is, as the fact that he hasn’t played this season and remains out indefinitely makes it tough to see a rival taking him on. He could be an expiring contract with how the Warriors structured the deal, but outside of that, at least on the court, he holds extremely minimal value right now.
After the previous two reports by Charania, it’s clear this is a developing situation in Golden State. The team isn’t happy with Porzingis, and there’s a good chance he’s moved sometime in the near future for the Warriors to upgrade the roster.
Warriors Make Massive Kristaps Porzingis Contract Decision As Trade Rumors Grow