Kristaps Porzingis. Image via: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
The 7-foot-2 Latvian is 31 and has yet to play a game this season. The team is 6-3 on a six-game win streak, and Porzingis is in contact with its medical staff while both sides look for a solution. 6. The 31-year-old had looked forward to playing with this group, but the trouble showed up during the ramp-up, when the body did not respond the way the center had anticipated. The Latvian was diagnosed with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), a neurological disease, in 2025, the same year Atlanta acquired the center in a trade, and the statement does not mention it. Golden State re-signed the center in June to a two-year, $40 million deal after 15 games last season. The $40 million center wrote of full respect for the organization and a wish to find a workable solution with the team. Golden State is the sixth team in 11 seasons for the Latvian, picked fourth overall by the New York Knicks in 2015. Porzingis helped Boston win the 2024 NBA title before moving on to Atlanta. Across 10 seasons with New York, Dallas, Washington, Boston, Atlanta, and Golden State, Porzingis has averaged 19.5 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.8 blocks.
Golden State announced in late September that the center would be out indefinitely and would skip training camp in Hawaii. Kristaps Porzingis explained the decision in a short post on X dated Nov. The Latvian called the move a choice to “prioritize my health and step away from the game I love. The post names no details of the disease. Atlanta had traded Porzingis to the Warriors in February, so the pairing is less than a year old. Multiple reports say the team is not paying the center under that deal during the absence. The post does not spell out what that solution would be.