Kristaps Porzingis was cleared to play last week. By Monday, the Golden State Warriors were preparing to leave for training camp in Hawaii without him.
General manager Mike Dunleavy said he learned Sunday that Porzingis was dealing with a health issue, according to ESPN’s Anthony Slater. The center is out indefinitely. The Warriors have not identified the issue or offered a timetable for his return.
It is an abrupt turn for a team that brought Porzingis back this summer knowing both what he could add alongside Stephen Curry and how difficult it has been for him to stay on the floor. Now Golden State must start camp without one of the players it counted on to change the shape of its frontcourt.
Porzingis’ Health History Raises Questions, but Offers No Diagnosis
Porzingis has spoken publicly about being diagnosed with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, or POTS, after a viral illness during his final season with the Boston Celtics. The condition can cause a rapid heartbeat upon standing, as well as dizziness and fatigue. Illness continued to interrupt his season after the Warriors acquired him from Atlanta in February.
The Warriors have not said Monday’s health issue is related to POTS. In February, coach Steve Kerr questioned Porzingis’ reported diagnosis before walking back his comments, saying he was not qualified to discuss it. That episode is reason enough to leave the current diagnosis to Porzingis and his doctors.
His injury record also includes a torn left ACL with the Knicks in 2018 and surgery for a torn right meniscus while with Dallas. A strained right calf cost him 10 games during Boston’s 2024 playoff run, and a separate left leg injury kept him out of Game 3 of the NBA Finals.
None of those past injuries explains what happened Sunday. They do explain why his availability was a central question for Golden State before camp even opened.
What the Warriors Have at Stake
Porzingis averaged 16.1 points and 5.3 rebounds in 15 games with the Warriors last season. At 7-foot-2, he can pull a defender away from the basket with his shooting while giving Golden State another shot blocker. Those are useful tools for a team trying to make the most of Curry’s remaining years.
The Warriors signed Porzingis to a two-year deal worth up to $40 million. Its structure gives them some protection: His salary for this season is guaranteed, but only $3 million of his 2027-28 salary is guaranteed.
That flexibility does little for their lineup today. With Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody also working through rehabilitation, Porzingis’ absence places more early responsibility on veterans Al Horford and Draymond Green.
“Out indefinitely” does not tell the Warriors when Porzingis will return. It tells them they must begin camp without an answer — and without the center they expected to have on the court.
Warriors Get Troubling Kristaps Porzingis Update Before Training Camp