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Despite the built-in flexibility, that wasn't the idealized intent of the contract. Porzingis played in 15 of the team's final 20 games last season and Warriors' management believed he had an encouraging enough summer to pencil Porzingis in as the projected starting center next to Draymond Green and rookie Yaxel Lendeborg in the frontcourt. Porzingis was in the team's San Francisco facility and on the court in the week leading up to training camp and attended Jimmy Butler's player-led event in San Diego in late September, though team sources described a detached Porzingis as indifferent and uninterested in participating in scrimmages and strenuous on-court prep work at the event.
On the Sunday before training camp, Porzingis called the Warriors and alerted general manager Mike Dunleavy that he was still dealing with the lingering impact of a health issue that has bothered him for nearly two years and told them he would be taking an indefinite leave of absence.
After missing the first two weeks of training camp and the entire preseason, Porzingis drove up from Los Angeles to San Francisco last Tuesday, league sources said, to meet with Dunleavy and Rick Celebrini, the franchise's lead medical decision-maker. In the aftermath, the team announced that they would keep the details of the meeting private, but expressed an expectation that Porzingis would remain around the team as he tried to improve his health and eventually resume his career. But that hasn't been the case. Porzingis hasn't returned to the facility, league sources said, beginning another indefinite leave of absence where he is mostly maintaining contact with only Dunleavy and Celebrini. The Warriors listed him as out for the season opener against the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night and the reasoning as "not with team" instead of an illness.
Bobby Marks: Kristaps Porzingis is eligible to be traded, despite signing a 2 year/$40M extension on June 30. His salary for next season is guaranteed for only $3M. Golden State is a second apron team and are not allowed to take back more salary in any trade.
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Shams Charania: Porzingis is on a trade-flexible contract for $20 million this season and a small partial next year, serving as essentially an expiring deal that the Warriors can utilize, potentially with their pool of assets. He first revealed his POTS diagnosis last year and has had ups and downs with the issue. If there is no breakthrough in recovery, stepping away from basketball -- for good -- is possible.
Oh No He Didn't: Darryn Peterson on his cramp issues in college: "After one of the practices...I started experiencing like intense cramps in which my whole body was cramping everywhere. All my muscles were cramping. 35, 40 minutes of just intense cramping. And they were poking me trying to find veins and stuff...had to come get a vein and take me out on a hospital bed. Take me to the hospital. Pain. I would go 10+ out of 1 to 10. Excruciating pain. I remember telling people I thought I was gonna die on the training table that day. Obviously, there was a ton of rumors and stuff that came out. I think what bothered me the most was just the character attacks, stuff that was so far from the truth. That's what bothered me"
Nick Friedell: A couple more notes from Kerr: Bassey also did not practice because of knee tendinitis. He is day to day. Kristaps Porzingis will not travel with the Warriors as they start the season.
Eric Nehm: Pelle Larsson missed some practices before Miami's last preseason game on Saturday and then left that game early after playing 25 minutes. Larsson talked with reporters today and here is what he said when asked about the illness he's been dealing with: "Not sure, really. Just been having headaches, so I caught something when we were in Quebec or on the way back or something. Since then, I didn't feel right and took some days off, came back. And just came back a little too quick. Didn't respect it maybe. Tried to tough it out and now just taking it slower."
Eric Nehm: Asked if he would play against Brooklyn on Wednesday, Larsson didn't answer the question directly, but said they're just taking it slow. "I've had headaches. I had it pretty much constant for a week. Today was the first day I didn't wake up with a headache, so it's been 24-7."
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Joseph Dycus: Steve Kerr says he has not heard from Kristaps Porzingis, and that KP was not around the facility for Warriors practice. Said that the starters will play similar minutes on Saturday.
Dan Patrick Show: “I was nervous, I was anxious. To be honest, I was nervous every game I played in.” — @jaytatum0 on how he felt in his comeback after his Achilles injury.
Grizzlies splitting with sports medicine partner OrthoSouth after three seasons Portrait of Damichael ColeDamichael Cole Memphis Commercial Appeal Updated Aug. 28, 2026, 7:44 p.m. CT The Memphis Grizzlies have parted ways with OrthoSouth, the team announced on Aug. 28. OrthoSouth has been the Grizzlies' sports medicine partner since 2023. When the two sides agreed to a deal in 2023, the partnership was initially for 10 years. OrthoSouth took over for Campbell Clinic, the Grizzlies' partner from 2001-22.
The Grizzlies are partnering back with Campbell Clinic, the team also announced on Aug. 28. This will be a multi-year partnership that will make Campbell Clinic the official orthopedics and sports medicine provider for the Grizzlies.