Golden State Warriors centre Kristaps Porzingis has announced he is stepping away from basketball to focus on his health, as he continues to battle the autoimmune disorder postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) that has kept him off the court all season.
Key Points
- Porzingis, 31, announced on Friday that he is stepping away from basketball to prioritise his health.
- He has not played this season while dealing with POTS, a nervous system disorder affecting heart rate and blood flow.
- He did not announce a retirement and remains under contract with the Warriors.
- Golden State has been withholding payments on his $20 million salary, ESPN reported this week.
“This season I was really looking forward to running it with this group, but as I ramped up, my body didn’t respond the way I anticipated,” Porzingis wrote on Friday in a statement posted to social media. “I’m doing good, but I know what it takes, and I’m not where I want to be to perform at the level that I expect from myself. At this point, I’ve made the decision to prioritize my health and step away from the game I love.” He added that he wanted to show “the utmost respect for the Golden State Warriors” and to “work with them to find a solution that makes sense”.
A health battle that began in Boston
Porzingis, a 7-foot-2 Latvian who began his NBA career with the New York Knicks in 2015, revealed last year that he had been diagnosed with POTS. The condition flared up late in the 2024–25 season, when he was with the Boston Celtics, and it has kept him from returning to the court since. He helped the Celtics win the NBA championship in 2024, was traded to the Atlanta Hawks in 2025, and then moved to Golden State at last season’s trade deadline, appearing in 15 games and averaging 16.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.1 blocks in 23.7 minutes per appearance. He told the Warriors he would not report just before pre-season workouts began, and on October 21 the team said he would not be with them for “the immediate future”.
Contract questions for the Warriors
Porzingis re-signed with Golden State in June on a two-year, $40 million contract, but only $3 million is guaranteed next year. ESPN reported on Wednesday that the Warriors were withholding payments on his $20 million salary this season for failure to render services, and that the team was looking to move him via trade, either immediately or after December 15, when most players become trade-eligible. Reports on Friday said the Warriors have no plans to void his contract as they evaluate the trade market. Porzingis did not mention retirement anywhere in his statement, leaving open the possibility of a return if his health improves. The Warriors, meanwhile, have started the season 6–3 and are on a six-game win streak. For the team’s recent form, see Yaxel Lendeborg leads Warriors to victory over Clippers and Stephen Curry leads Warriors to narrow victory over Timberwolves. More in our Sports section.
Sources: Reuters, “Warriors’ Porzingis stepping away from basketball to prioritize health”; NBC Sports, “Kristaps Porziņģis announces that he’s stepping away from basketball”.