The strange saga concerning the playing status of veteran forward Kristaps Porzingis continues, as the Golden State Warriors are reportedly not paying his $20 million salary for the 2025-26 season because he is not playing.
ESPN.com reported on Wednesday, Nov. 4 that the non-payment stems from Porzingis not rendering services to the team or fulfilling his contract. Porzingis has not played yet this season because of an undisclosed illness that the team has yet to clarify.
The Warriors can seek to trade Porzingis before the Feb. 11 trade deadline, as Porzingis has reportedly leaned toward retirement. The salary for the 31-year-old still counts against the salary cap and any tax apron that the Warriors could possibly pay.
Porzingis' two-year, $40
million deal expires at season's end, making him a prime trade candidate and allowing any acquiring team to shed salary on its own roster to create a roster spot, possibly for a playoff push. According to the report, Golden State is not currently entertaining voiding the remainder of his contract.
Porzingis' timeline in Golden State
The Hawks traded Porzingis to Golden State for Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield on Feb. 5, 2026. He played only 15 games with the Warriors and 32 games overall in the 2025-26 season.
Golden State saw enough potential to sign him to a two-year, $40 million extension in June, which came with a player option for the 2027-28 season. He was guaranteed $20 million for this season, but only $3 million was guaranteed in the last year of the deal.
Before training camp started, general manager Mike Dunveavy was called by Porzingis, who informed him he was stepping away from the team.
The team then said Porzingis would be around as he recovered from his illness, but he wouldn't play because of that medical condition.
In 12 NBA seasons, Porzingis has averaged 19.5 points and 7.6 rebounds for the New York Knicks, Dallas Mavericks, Washington Wizards and Boston Celtics, along with the Hawks and Warriors.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Report: Warriors withholding payments to Kristaps Porzingis on $20M salary
