The Golden State Warriors remain in the dark on Kristaps Porziņģis’ status, with the veteran big man away from the team and no clear timetable for his return.
According to Danny Emerman of The San Francisco Standard, the Warriors say they do not know exactly where Porziņģis is, what he is currently dealing with from a health standpoint, or when he might be able to return to basketball activities. He did not travel with the team to Hawaii after general manager Mike Dunleavy announced that he would be out indefinitely, and he has remained absent since.
The lack of clarity is notable because the regular season is approaching quickly. Porziņģis has already missed multiple training-camp practices and preseason games, and Steve Kerr acknowledged on October 8 that the team would obviously prefer to have him around but is supporting him while he addresses his health.
Porziņģis has previously dealt with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, or POTS, and that condition has affected his availability in recent years. But there has been no confirmation that POTS is the cause of his current absence.
That uncertainty has become one of the biggest questions surrounding Golden State’s preseason. The Warriors brought Porziņģis back on a two-year, $40 million contract this summer despite knowing his medical history, betting that his size, shooting and rim protection would be worth the availability risk. The deal includes only $24 million guaranteed, giving Golden State some financial protection if the health concerns continue.
When healthy, Porziņģis offers exactly the type of skill set Golden State wants in its frontcourt: a 7-foot-3 floor spacer who can protect the rim and open the floor around Stephen Curry and Draymond Green.
