Golden State suspends Kristaps Porzingis’ $20M paychecks as he remains absent

Kristaps Porzingis will not receive his Warriors paychecks at this time.

Golden State is withholding payments on Porzingis’s $20 million salary while he stays away from the team, according to a league source who spoke with the Chronicle on Tuesday. ESPN first reported the development. Porzingis has not yet practiced or played for the Warriors this season, a situation the franchise describes as a “health‑related matter.”

Under the NBA’s collective‑bargaining agreement, a player’s compensation may be reduced when they fail to “render the services” required by their contract without a valid excuse. Even if the paychecks are suspended, Porzingis’s full $20 million salary for the 2026‑27 season remains counted against Golden State’s salary cap.

The 31‑year‑old has been absent from the Warriors’ facility since Oct. 13, when he met with general manager Mike Dunleavy and vice president of player health and performance Rick Celebrini. The team issued a statement the following day indicating Porzingis would be out indefinitely but would remain connected to the organization.

In a tweet that same day, Porzingis said, “I’m working with doctors and experts to figure out how to be fully back to good health asap. Honestly, I’m getting better and better. I just have to stay patient, and I believe I’ll be feeling great again soon.”

However, he never returned to the facility. A week later, Golden State released another statement saying it did not expect Porzingis “to be around the team in the immediate future.”

The league has precedent for withholding game checks in similar circumstances. When Philadelphia’s Ben Simmons refused to report for the 2021‑22 season, the 76ers suspended roughly $20 million in salary; the dispute was eventually settled after Simmons filed a grievance. Philadelphia later traded Simmons to Brooklyn, a move precipitated by a request from Nets star James Harden.

Golden State is likely to explore moving Porzingis via a salary‑match trade. Porzingis is owed only $3 million of his $20 million contract next season under a two‑year deal nearing its expiration, making him a potential asset for a franchise seeking to clear long‑term salary commitments.

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