Kristaps Porziņģis might never play another NBA game. The Golden State Warriors also might not pay a cent of his $20 million contract.
NBA insider Shams Charania made an X post on Tuesday that read, “The Warriors are not delivering payments to Kristaps Porzingis on his $20 million salary, ruling that he is not rendering services”.
Porziņģis has been ruled out indefinitely from the NBA season due to a mystery illness, and he has openly contemplated retirement as he looks to regain his health.
“Golden State is permitted to move his contract at any point before the Feb. 11 deadline even without paying him currently, and will continue exhausting trade avenues as the 31-year-old leans toward ending his NBA career,” Charania added in the X post.
“Absorbing Porzingis’ near-expiring deal would allow a rival team to move a salary out and save money and clear a roster spot via a buyout,” he continued.
The Warriors are still trying to trade the 31-year-old, despite it seeming unlikely that another team would want to trade for a player that is owed $20 million and might decide to retire.
The one element that provides some hope to move the big man is that he is on a juicy expiring contract.
It’s unclear whether Porziņģis will challenge the Warriors’ decision to withhold his salary right now. If he decides to do so, what has already become an ugly saga could get even worse.
