Kristaps Porzingis’ absence has taken a strange turn for the Golden State Warriors, and Steve Kerr isn’t pretending the team saw it coming.
Porzingis reached out to the Warriors before training camp to report an illness, leaving the club without the veteran center just as the season got underway. Kerr said the situation blindsided the team.
“We were definitely caught off guard by it in that we were in communication with him over the summer, and it seemed like everything was in a good place right up until training camp.”
Kerr added, “We had to move forward. I haven’t given it a whole lot of thought to be honest, because we’re just busy," Kerr continued.
The news comes after Porzingis signed a two-year, $40 million contract extension with Golden State this summer. He was expected to be ready for the 2026-27 season, making the sudden setback especially unexpected for a team that believed it had its center situation settled.
For now, there’s no timetable for his return.
That leaves the Warriors waiting on a player who flashed his value in limited action last season. In 15 games with Golden State, Porzingis averaged 16.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.1 blocks and 0.6 steals.
With Moses Moody and Jimmy Butler III also sidelined, the Warriors could certainly use Porzingis back in the mix alongside Stephen Curry and Yaxel Lendeborg. For now, though, the team is moving ahead without him and hoping the situation clears up sooner rather than later.
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