The Golden State Warriors have apparently reached the end of the road with center Kristaps Porzingis. A lackluster NBA offseason for Golden State saw them re-signing Porzingis as the biggest move in free agency. Unfortunately for both parties, an illness has forced Porzingis to miss every game this season. A recent update saw Porzingis announcing he’s stepping away from basketball to focus on his health for the time being.
Warriors beat writer Dalton Johnson revealed just how quickly the Warriors distanced themselves from Porzingis:
“Since the start of the season, the glass doors on Kristaps Porzingis‘ locker have been closed. Now, his locker is completely cleared out. No nameplate, no items, nothing.”
Porzingis did not announce a retirement, and Golden State still have him under contract to make it a bit strange they cleared his locker so quickly. Despite not getting paid while out, Porzingis is still a Warriors player for all intents and purposes. Golden State lost all hope of Porzingis being one of the top teammates to help Stephen Curry lead this team to success.
The Warriors clearing out Porzingis’ locker shows they have no faith he will return to the team this season like Jimmy Butler or other injured players. Porzingis has missed a lot of games over the past three seasons due to this illness ruining the recent chapter of his NBA career.
Draymond Green Also Threw Shade At Kristaps Porzingis
A recent quote from Draymond Green implied that he didn’t view Porzingis as part of the team. Even though the big man did play for Golden State last season, he’s been off the court far more than on the court since the trade.
The Warriors hoped to fix their longstanding center issues by acquiring Porzingis from the Atlanta Hawks last season. Golden State didn’t lose much by sending disgruntled forward Jonathan Kuminga back in the deal, but the center position is still a problem.
Green revealed some bitterness towards Porzingis, and it’s not impossible that the franchise feels the same. The Warriors could have used that money else to get another center or just add more depth ahead of a difficult season with Butler and Moses Moody already injured.
Why Warriors Cleared Kristaps Porzingis’ Locker
The shock is that Golden State did something so cold in such a fast manner. However, the team could be looking at adding a new player or calling someone up from the G-League to warrant needing that locker.
Regardless, the signs are there that the Warriors hope to move on from Porzingis and focus on the players there. Rookie Yaxel Lendeborg has stepped up to be the second most consistent player behind Curry in the same manner that Golden State hoped to get from Porzingis.
The Warriors are overachieving and off to a great start, despite all the injury variables hitting them. Head coach Steve Kerr and early MVP candidate Curry deserve a lot of praise for making the most of a limited roster. Porzingis will likely not be around Golden State unless his health gets better to suit up before the season ends.
Golden State Warriors Coldly Clear Out Kristaps Porzingis’ Locker