The Warriors head into next week’s season opener with a major question still hanging over Kristaps Porzingis, and nobody around the team seems to have a clean read on when - or if - that mystery will clear up.
Golden State opens against Luka Doncic and the new-look Los Angeles Lakers, but the bigger storyline right now is Porzingis’ health, which the San Francisco Standard reported remains murky. Danny Emerman wrote, “The most clarity any team has received on Porzingis’ health in recent years was his POTS diagnosis after the 2024-25 season.
But that chronic disorder has led to more questions than answers,” and added, “The incurable and unpredictable condition can manifest in sudden, serious bouts of symptoms. The veteran has said he and his doctors know how to manage it with a higher salt intake and more mindful recovery schedule.”
That uncertainty has already shown up in the preseason setup. Porzingis did not travel with the Warriors to training camp at the start of preseason, leaving the club to monitor the situation from a distance.
Steve Kerr addressed the issue in early October and kept his answer centered on patience. “Honestly, I just look at it as day to day. And we're supporting him in every way that we can, with our performance staff, our training staff, doctors, and hopefully things can improve quickly and we'll get him back,”
The ripple effect could reach beyond the opening weeks of the season. One rival Western Conference executive told the Standard he would not be surprised if Golden State eventually moved Porzingis before the trade deadline and did not finish the season with him.
“I spoke with one rival West executive earlier this week who said that he wouldn't be shocked if Porzingis was moved by the Warriors and he didn't finish the season with them at the trade deadline. He's basically a $20 million contract spot. It's what the Warriors had last year with Jonathan Kuminga, and they ultimately turned Kuminga into Porzingis.
He added, “Could they do something similar with Porzingis's contract over the first 3.5 months of the regular season? I think that we don't really know the full extent and the full details of this health issue, but from the Warriors' perspective, they do. If this is going to be something that lingers over the course of the first half of the regular season, you're going to see them have to make a hard decision regarding Kristaps Porzingis.”
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Podziemski thanked the organization for the faith it showed in him, and the contract structure only adds to the sense that Golden State sees him as more than a useful rotation piece. For the Warriors, the question now is how far that bet extends and what it means for the balance between Currys win-now timeline and the young core they are choosing to invest in around him. [Read more 🡒]