The Golden State Warriors are still without star big man Kristaps Porzingis as he continues to deal with the ‘mystery illness’ that has sidelined him at several points over the past few seasons.
Officially, Porzingis remains out indefinitely for the Warriors, but according to head coach Steve Kerr, things could be moving in a positive direction.
At a recent media availability session, Kerr addressed Porzingis’ status and revealed that the big man will be returning to the team a lot sooner than his previous updates indicated.
Steve Kerr Announces Important Kristaps Porzingis Return Update
Speaking at a press conference, Kerr revealed Porzingis will be at the Chase Center to meet with head trainer Rick Celebrini in the lead-up to the Warriors’ next preseason game against the Los Angeles Lakers.
“Steve Kerr said Kristaps Porzingis will be at Chase tomorrow (October 13),” Luca Evans of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote in a post on X. “Will meet with Rick Celebrini and #Warriors’ medical team to evaluate where he’s at. Asked him later if he knew if Porzingis has been in the Bay or out of the country across the last week. Said no comment.”
Asked him later if he knew if Porzingis has been in the Bay or out of the country across the last week. Said no comment.
When discussing Porzingis’ status in prior updates, Kerr had said he didn’t know about the 30-year-old’s whereabouts, and said that the big man’s health was ‘concerning.’
Golden State has yet to announce any official updates on the Latvian, but as NBA insider Brett Siegel recently said, the team should expect to start the season without him.
“I’ve been told that Golden State is bracing for Porzingis to miss the start of the season,” the insider said. “There’s just no word on what his timetable looks like, how long he’s going to be out, what he’s even dealing with at this point. And so definitely very concerning for the Warriors.”
Porzingis played 15 games for the Warriors last season after arriving at the trade deadline, putting up 16.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in that span.
Golden State Big Man Still Out Indefinitely
According to previous comments from Kerr as well as updates from Warriors insiders, Porzingis is still out indefinitely for the time being.
“I haven’t seen him yet…Yeah, I mean, you know, we want him back. He’s a really talented player, and so we thought that he was in a pretty good place. So it’s definitely concerning,” Kerr said. “And so, as I said, all we’re going to do is support him, give him every bit of medical help he can get, and emotional support, and hope that he’s back soon.”
“He’s not here today,” the coach added last week. “We’ve obviously been in Hawaii and Portland. So we just came in, and we worked out the vets, had a really good practice. And yeah, so I’ll reach out to KP today and check in with him, but nothing new.”
Additionally, new reporting from ESPN’s Anthony Slater echoes what Kerr has been saying.
“Kristaps Porzingis remains away from the Warriors as they begin third week of the preseason. Front office and Rick Celebrini are in consistent contact with Porzingis, but timeline to return to facility (and eventually court) remains indefinite. Regular season opens in nine days,” he wrote on X before Kerr’s latest Porzingis update.
Porzingis’ health remains a massive issue for the Warriors heading into the 2026-27 NBA season. Golden State will already be without Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody, but missing the center would be a big blow for a team that is hopeful to compete in the Western Conference.
Warriors HC Steve Kerr Announces Major Kristaps Porzingis Return Update