Kristaps Porzingis is back in the Bay Area, but a return doesn’t seem imminent.
The veteran centre missed training camp and the Golden State Warriors‘ first five pre-season games due to an undisclosed “health-related matter,” which prompted an update from the team on Wednesday.
Porzingis returned to the Warriors’ practice facility to meet with GM Mike Dunleavy and VP of player health and performance Rick Celebrini, but remains sidelined indefinitely.
The 31-year-old joined the Warriors midway through last season in a trade that sent Jonathan Kuminga to the Atlanta Hawks but has hardly been able to suit up due to a variety of health issues. Porzingis previously revealed he was diagnosed with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) during his time with the Boston Celtics, although the Warriors have not confirmed if his current absence is related in any way.
He made 15 appearances for Golden State last season, averaging 16.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.2 blocks. The Warriors then signed the Latvian seven-footer to a two-year, $40 million deal this past summer.
Injuries have been an ongoing concern for Porzingis throughout his career, having played fewer than 50 games in five of his first 10 NBA seasons, including missing all of 2018-19 while recovering from a torn ACL.
“Hello people, I’m working with doctors and experts to figure out how to be fully back to good health ASAP. Honestly, I’m getting better and better. I just have to stay patient, and I believe I’ll be feeling great again soon. It has definitely been frustrating dealing with some health stuff that you can’t exactly pinpoint, on top of injuries throughout my career, so it has added up for sure, but we will get through it. Health is wealth. Thank you for all the support.”
Porzingis has played 533 games over his decade in the NBA, averaging 19.5 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.8 blocks in that span — along with being part of the Celtics championship-winning team in 2024.
Despite the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the big man, Dunleavy didn’t rule out the possibility that Porzingis could play in the Warriors’ season-opener against the Los Angeles Lakers on Oct. 21.
“I think we feel comfortable with everything … but it’s early, so don’t want to overreact to anything. Definitely disappointed that he won’t be out there with his teammates (right now), but we’ll get there.”
— with files from the Associated Press
