Kristaps Porziņģis steps away from basketball to prioritize his health, but his $20 million contract stays in the Warriors’ trade plans

Kristaps Porziņģis announced Friday that he is stepping away from basketball to prioritize his health, and said he will work with the Golden State Warriors to find a solution that makes sense for both sides. The statement stops short of a retirement: the 31-year-old center remains under contract with Golden State, and his $20 million salary is still a live piece in the Warriors’ trade plans before the Feb. 11 deadline.

🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/d0UoELOmye
— Kristaps Porzingis (@kporzee) November 6, 2026

The statement was posted on Porziņģis’s own X account at about 4:10 p.m. ET Friday (11:10 p.m. Cairo time).

What Porziņģis said

“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,” Porziņģis wrote. “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. “In this situation, I want to show the utmost respect for the Golden State Warriors and work with them to find a solution that makes sense.”

Why it does not end the trade talk

Anthony Slater reported, citing a source, that the announcement does not change Porziņģis’s status as a usable trade chip for Golden State heading toward the deadline. Danny Emerman, who covers the team, also noted that Porziņģis remains eligible to be traded.

Kristaps Porzingis announces he is stepping away from basketball. This doesn’t change his status/situation with the Warriors as a usable trade chip leading up to deadline, per source.

He said within statement he is working with Warriors to find “solution that makes sense. https://t.co/IN3SgDmFHL
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) November 6, 2026

Earlier this week Golden State stopped paying Porziņģis, ruling that he is not rendering the services his contract requires, as our Wednesday report on the withheld salary laid out. The fine for that is 1/91.6 of his salary for each game missed, which works out to about $218,341 a game on a $20 million salary. The full $20 million still counts against the Warriors’ cap while the payments are withheld.

The contract and the buyout angle

Porziņģis signed a two-year, $40 million extension with Golden State this summer.
The second year, 2027-28, carries a $20 million salary with only $3 million guaranteed, which makes the deal close to an expiring contract for a team that trades for it.
Because he extended rather than signing as a free agent, he can be traded now and is not bound by the Dec. 15 date that applies to most summer signings.
Jake Fischer reported this week that Porziņģis would have strong interest in a buyout that lets him walk away from basketball while recovering part of the money being withheld.
Fischer also reported that Golden State would ideally finish a deal by mid-December, so an acquiring team could still re-aggregate the salary in another trade before the deadline.

That points to the likeliest path: a trade to a team that wants a large, nearly expiring salary to match in a bigger deal, followed by a buyout. The Warriors have no current plans to void the contract, team sources said earlier this week.

Where it leaves the Warriors

Golden State is 6-3 after an 0-3 start and has won six straight without Porziņģis playing a minute this season. He has not been with the team since early October, and the Warriors had already changed his injury report listing to “not with team.” Coach Steve Kerr has leaned on young bigs Charles Bassey and Graham Ike in the meantime.

Porziņģis was the fourth overall pick in 2015 and won a title with Boston in 2024. He has dealt with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), a condition he disclosed last season, and has averaged 19.5 points, 7.6 rebounds and 1.8 blocks over 533 regular-season games. Golden State acquired him from Atlanta at last season’s deadline and he played 15 games for the team.