Golden State Warriors star Kristaps Porziņģis will be sidelined indefinitely as the team begins its training camp in Hawaii, the organization announced on Monday. Porziņģis is grappling with an undisclosed health problem. After being traded from the Atlanta Hawks at the February trade deadline, Porziņģis missed significant time during the 2025-26 season due to illness and injury. Since joining the Warriors, he has played in fewer games (15) than he has missed (16).
Warriors GM Mike Dunleavy stated, “I’m not counting him out at the start of the season or anything like that. He’s just unavailable this week. We’re disappointed he won’t play tomorrow, but it’s early, so there’s no need to overreact.”
This summer, Porziņģis agreed to a two-year, $40 million contract to remain with Golden State, where he averaged 16.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks in 15 games after the trade. The Warriors acquired him in a deal that involved Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield earlier this year.
At 31 years old, Porziņģis hasn’t appeared in more than 60 games in any of the last four seasons, including stints with Boston (42 games in 2024-25) and the Hawks and Warriors (32 games last season). His career-high for games played (72) came as a rookie with the New York Knicks over a decade ago.
Rising Expectations for Yaxel Lendeborg?
Porziņģis’ absence at the start of training camp leaves a gap in Golden State’s frontcourt, potentially thrusting rookie Yaxel Lendeborg into a larger role than initially planned. Lendeborg, the No. 11 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft from Michigan, was the oldest first-round draftee and is regarded as one of the most NBA-ready rookies due to his physical playstyle.
During his time at Michigan, Lendeborg stood out as one of college basketball’s top players and led the Wolverines to a national championship. He continued to impress in the Las Vegas Summer League, contributing 21 points and 10 rebounds against the Memphis Grizzlies to help the Warriors secure their second summer league title.
Golden State chose not to pursue many new additions in free agency, instead opting to keep largely the same roster that fell to the Phoenix Suns in the play-in tournament. The Warriors re-signed Porziņģis along with Draymond Green, Al Horford, De’Anthony Melton, and Gary Payton II. They also recently extended Steph Curry’s contract for two years. Jimmy Butler, who missed much of last season due to an ACL tear, is expected to return late in the upcoming season.
Their only new external signings were Brandon Williams and Georges Niang, the latter of whom missed the entire previous season recovering from a foot injury.
Fan Take: Porziņģis’ uncertain availability early in the season is a significant setback for a Warriors team aiming to solidify its championship contention. Meanwhile, this challenge opens the door for rookie Yaxel Lendeborg to showcase his skills on a big stage, potentially shaping the future of Golden State’s frontcourt and exciting fans about the league’s next generation of talent.
Source: www.cbssports.com
