Kristaps Porziņģis steps away from basketball to focus on his health

Kristaps Porziņģis posted a signed statement on his social media accounts on the evening of Friday 6 November, saying he is stepping away from basketball for health reasons. The 31-year-old Latvian is on the Golden State Warriors roster but has yet to play a game in the current NBA season.

He does not say in the statement that he is ending his career, nor does he say how long the break might last. He says only that he wants to find a solution with the Warriors that makes sense for both sides. The US outlet ClutchPoints also stressed that the statement is not a retirement announcement.

What the statement says

Porziņģis wrote that he had been looking forward to this season with the team, but that as he gradually increased his workload his body did not respond the way he had hoped. He said he feels good, but knows what it takes and is not where he wants to be to play at the level he expects of himself. For now, he wrote, he has decided to put his health first and “step away from the game I love”.

He said he wanted to show the utmost respect to the Golden State Warriors and to find a solution with them that makes sense, thanked his family and loved ones for always being there for him, and thanked everyone for their support, signing off: onwards and upwards. The statement was published in English and can be read in full in the post below.

What happens to his contract

Porziņģis joined the Warriors in February this year, when Golden State acquired him from the Atlanta Hawks in a trade for Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield. At the end of June he agreed a new two-year, $40 million contract with the Warriors, with a player option for the second season.

He has not played for the team this season. ESPN reported this week that the club is not paying his $20 million salary for the season while he is away from the team, and that Porziņģis is weighing his future in basketball as he deals with recurring symptoms of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS). The player does not mention a diagnosis in his statement.

Career

• The New York Knicks selected him fourth overall in the 2015 NBA draft; in 2018 he played in the NBA All-Star Game.
• He was traded to the Dallas Mavericks in 2019 and to the Washington Wizards in 2022.
• In 2023 he joined the Boston Celtics and in 2024 became an NBA champion — the first Latvian basketball player to win an NBA title.
• In the summer of 2025 he was traded to the Atlanta Hawks, and in February 2026 to the Golden State Warriors.
• Last season he played 32 games for the Hawks and the Warriors.
• He returned to the Latvian national team in 2025 and played at the European Championship (EuroBasket) in Riga.

Match centre

• NBA: table
• Latvia national team