Kristaps Porzingis announces he will ‘step away’ from Warriors in statement amid health concerns

Golden State Warriors center Kristaps Porziņģis announced his retirement from the team in a statement posted on social media Friday.

“This season I was really looking forward to racing with this group, but as I progressed, my body did not react the way I expected,” Porziņģis wrote in the release. “I’m fine, but I know what it takes, and I’m not where I want to be to perform at the level I expect of myself. At this point, I’ve made the decision to prioritize my health and step away from the game I love. In this situation, I want to show the utmost respect to the Golden State Warriors and work with them to find a solution that makes sense. I’m grateful to my family and loved ones for still being here. Thank you all so much. for your support.”

The 31-year-old has yet to suit up for the Warriors this season due to the lingering effects of his Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS).

Golden State originally acquired Porziņģis in a February 5 trade with the Atlanta Hawks.

He was limited by health issues following the change in scenery, as he only appeared in 15 games for the Warriors during the 2025-26 season.

Still, Porziņģis agreed to a two-year, $40 million contract to stay with Golden State in June.

On September 28, Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. revealed that Porziņģis was out indefinitely to begin training camp due to his health issues. Golden State ultimately announced that the center would remain sidelined indefinitely due to a “health-related matter” on October 14.

ESPN’s Shams Charania and Anthony Slater reported Wednesday that the Warriors are not making biweekly payments to Porziņģis from his $20 million salary and are pursuing a potential trade.

He was not actively contesting the lack of payments nor did the National Basketball Players Association intend to contest, according to Charania and Slater.

Porziņģis opened his NBA career with the New York Knicks, earning an All-Star nod in 2018 before a torn ACL forced him to miss the entire 2018-19 season.

He was eventually traded to the Dallas Mavericks in February 2019 and ended up playing for three teams over the next five seasons. Although Porziņģis was never able to earn another All-Star selection, he served as a key starter on a Boston Celtics team that won a championship in 2024.

As for the Warriors, they are currently 6-3 this season.