The Golden State Warriors are taking a cautious, long-term approach with new acquisition Kristaps Porziņģis, and head coach Steve Kerr made it official on Saturday: the 7-foot-3 center will sit out the team’s next three games and remain in San Francisco during the All-Star break to continue rehabbing.
ESPN’s Anthony Slater reported the plan:
“Steve Kerr said the Warriors’ plan is to hold Kristaps Porzingis out the next three games, keep him working in San Francisco during the All-Star break, and debut him out of the break.”
Porziņģis, acquired in a deadline-day trade from the Atlanta Hawks (sending Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield the other way), has been limited to 17 games this season due to a combination of illness and lingering left Achilles tendinitis. The Warriors are prioritizing full health over rushing him back — even though the timing couldn’t be much worse for a team already without Stephen Curry (right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome / “runner’s knee”).
Current Warriors Situation
- Record: 28-25 (8th in the Western Conference)
- Recent form: Dropped to 3-6 without Butler (ACL tear) and now without Curry for multiple games.
- Saturday result: 105-99 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers (without Dončić) despite a strong 25-point effort from Moses Moody.
- Upcoming schedule (before All-Star break):
- vs. Memphis Grizzlies
- at San Antonio Spurs
Without Curry (and now Porziņģis sidelined), the Warriors are in real danger of losing both games — which would drop them dangerously close to slipping out of the play-in picture entirely in the loaded West.
The Risky Timing of the Porziņģis Acquisition
The Warriors swung for Porziņģis after their aggressive (and very public) pursuit of Giannis Antetokounmpo failed. On paper, the fit is perfect:
- Elite rim protection
- Floor-spacing (career ~37% from three)
- Pick-and-pop threat with Curry
- Reunion with Al Horford (2024 Boston championship teammate)
But the reality is far more uncertain. Porziņģis has been one of the league’s most injury-prone bigs in recent years. The Warriors are betting on him returning at or near full strength after the All-Star break — but if the health issues linger, they’ve essentially traded away their most valuable young trade asset (Kuminga) for a high-risk, potentially low-floor addition.
The Bigger Picture for Golden State
- Curry’s knee remains day-to-day with no firm return timeline.
- Jimmy Butler is out for the season (ACL surgery February 9).
- The front office chose Porziņģis over other deadline targets (Zubac, Jackson Jr., etc.) after the Giannis path closed.
- The roster now leans heavily on veterans (Curry, Green, Porziņģis, Horford) with limited young upside remaining.
The Warriors are in pure survival mode: fighting to stay in the play-in while hoping Curry returns soon, Porziņģis debuts healthy post-break, and the supporting cast (Moody, Podziemski, etc.) steps up.
Warriors fans — how worried are you about this stretch without Curry and now without Porziņģis? Does the patient approach with KP feel smart or frustrating given the standings? And do you trust the team can scrape into the postseason? Let me know your thoughts below — the next two games before the break are massive.