The Golden State Warriors are evaluating possible trades involving Kristaps Porzingis while the veteran center stays away from the team indefinitely due to an ongoing health problem.
ESPN's Shams Charania reported that the situation has prompted questions about whether Porzingis will continue his NBA career, with Golden State assessing its options early in the season.
The Warriors released a statement Wednesday declining to address trade speculation, Porzingis' medical condition or his basketball future.
The team also said it does not expect the center to rejoin the organization in the immediate future.
Contract Structure Allows Immediate Move
Porzingis signed a two-year, $40 million extension with Golden State in June.
Only $3 million of the $20 million set for the second season is guaranteed, effectively making the deal an expiring contract.
ESPN reported that the Warriors structured the extension without a salary increase between the two seasons.
That arrangement made Porzingis eligible for an immediate trade rather than forcing the team to wait until mid-December.
Golden State had planned to use Porzingis as its starting center alongside Draymond Green and rookie Yaxel Lendeborg.
Management viewed his participation in 15 of the team's final 20 games last season and his summer progress as encouraging enough to expect a regular role.
Porzingis visited the Warriors' San Francisco facility in the week before training camp.
He also took part in Jimmy Butler's player-led event in San Diego in late September, though team sources described him as detached and uninterested in scrimmages and strenuous preparation.
Before camp opened, Porzingis told general manager Mike Dunleavy that the effects of his health problem persisted, and he said he would take an indefinite leave of absence, according to ESPN.
POTS Diagnosis Behind the Absence
The condition dates back nearly two years, following an upper respiratory virus Porzingis contracted while playing for the Boston Celtics.
He has described lingering effects on his energy and his ability to play consistently, identifying his diagnosis as postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, or POTS, which can cause dizziness, fatigue and brain fog.
After missing the first two weeks of training camp and the entire preseason, Porzingis traveled from Los Angeles to San Francisco on Oct.
13 to meet Dunleavy and Rick Celebrini, the Warriors' lead medical decision-maker, according to league sources cited by ESPN.
The organization later said the meeting would remain private and expressed hope that Porzingis would stay connected with the team while working toward better health and a possible return.
However, league sources told ESPN that he has not returned to the facility and has kept contact mainly with Dunleavy and Celebrini.
The Warriors listed Porzingis as unavailable for Wednesday night's season opener against the Los Angeles Lakers, classifying his status as not with the team rather than attributing his absence to an illness.
In its Wednesday statement, Golden State reiterated that talks with the player and his representatives would stay confidential.
"As noted last week, conversations between the Warriors, Kristaps, and his representatives will remain private," the Warriors said.
"We are not anticipating Kristaps being around the team in the immediate future. We'll provide additional updates when available and appropriate," the team added.
Porzingis has publicly acknowledged the difficulty of managing his health problems alongside injuries throughout his career.
In a post on X last week, he described the accumulated challenges and expressed determination to keep moving forward.
"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.
According to Charania, sources indicated that permanently stepping away from basketball remains a possibility if his condition does not improve.
The potential trade market for Porzingis remains unclear at the start of the regular season.
NBA front offices typically assess their existing rosters before pursuing major changes, though draft assets could draw interest even without assurances that he will play again.
Golden State retains nearly all of its first-round draft picks and several expiring contracts.
Dunleavy has said publicly that the team's roster construction this season leaves room for an in-season trade if the right opportunity emerges.
