Warriors Owner ‘Disappointed’ With Kristaps Porzingis Situation
· Yahoo Sports
Golden State Warriors franchise owner is not fond of what happened after signing Kristaps Porzingis, who is now stepping away from basketball.
Golden State Warriors owner Joe Lacob stated he is “disappointed” by the Porzingis situation, noting the team expected the center to be a core contributor before he stepped away from basketball due to recurring health issues.
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Speaking on The TK Show with Tim Kawakami, Lacob defended general manager Mike Dunleavy’s offseason decision to sign Porzingis while acknowledging the team must now adjust its roster plans.
“It’s disappointing,” Lacob said. “We certainly had every intention of him being a core part of the team. We knew it was a risk. He’s had some injury history, but it was a good risk worth taking, in my view.
“I think Mike [Dunleavy] did the right thing by signing him. I thought the deal was good. I guess you could sit there and say somehow you should have anticipated this, but there’s no way you could. He played last spring.”
Joe Lacob on the disappointment of the Kristaps Porzingis situation:
"I mean it's disappointing. We certainly had every intention of him being a core part of the team. We knew it was a risk, he's had some injury history, but it was a good risk worth taking in my view. I think… pic.twitter.com/h7PbyBLD35
— Chef (@CurryForGame) November 10, 2026
Warriors Aware Of The Risks of Signing Kristaps Porzingis
GettySAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 28: General Manager Mike Dunleavy of the Golden State Warriors speaks at a press conference during media day at Chase Center on September 28, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)Lacob emphasized that the Warriors knew signing Porzingis carried an injury risk, but believed his medical condition was under control after he played in the spring of 2026. He stated that right up until training camp began, the organization fully expected him to be a serious contributor.
“We thought he … we had the medical condition under control, and he certainly, right up until the beginning of training camp, we had every belief that he was going to come in and be a serious contributor to our team,” Lacob said.
Looking forward, Lacob noted that the franchise has to “be flexible” and “make the best of our situation,” hinting that there is “room to do something” via the trade market.
“So it is what it is. Now we have to adjust. We have to be flexible. We have to make the best of our situation,” he added.
The Kristaps Porzingis Situation
GettyINGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 12: Kristaps Porzingis #7 of the Golden State Warriors drives against Bennedict Mathurin #9 of the Los Angeles Clippers during the first half of an NBA game at Intuit Dome on April 12, 2026 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Ryan Sirius Sun/Getty Images)Kristaps Porzingis has already announced that he is stepping away from basketball indefinitely to prioritize his health. In a social media statement on Nov. 6, the 31-year-old Warriors center explained that his body did not respond as anticipated while trying to ramp up for the season, leaving him unable to perform at the level he expects of himself.
He has not appeared in a game during the 2026-2927 NBA season and has been away from the team since the start of training camp in late September.
His absence stems from ongoing complications related to postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), an autoimmune nervous system condition he has battled over the past two years.
Because he has remained away from the facility without medical clearance, the Warriors have stopped issuing payments on his $20 million salary for this season, a decision neither Porzingis nor the players’ association is contesting.
Porzingis noted in his statement that he is working with Golden State to find a mutually beneficial resolution.
Rather than voiding the two-year, $40 million contract extension he signed in June, which carries only $3 million guaranteed for next season, the Warriors are actively exploring the trade market ahead of the Feb. 11 deadline.
Because his contract offers immediate salary relief for a potential trade partner, Golden State hopes to use his deal as a trade chip, ideally by Dec. 16 to maximize roster flexibility.
For now, the Warriors look to continue their impressive season as they are currently riding an eight-game winning streak after starting 0-3 in the season.
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