Steve Kerr shares positive update on absent Warriors center Kristaps Porziņģis

Steve Kerr shares positive update on absent Warriors center Kristaps Porziņģis originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – Entering the third week of preseason, Warriors center Kristaps Porziņģis still hasn’t been around the team. But there finally could be some more clarity to this mysterious situation. 

Warriors coach Steve Kerr after Monday’s practice said Porziņģis will be at Chase Center on Tuesday as Golden State plays the Los Angeles Lakers in Las Vegas. 

“Yeah, he’ll be here tomorrow,” Kerr said. “No update beyond that. But he’ll be in the building meeting with Rick [Celebrini] and the performance staff.” 

The Warriors’ regular-season opener against the Lakers in LA is nine days away. Kerr could not say if he’s ruling Porziņģis out for that first game quite yet. 

“All that will be determined once we get him back here and have discussions and figure out where he is with all that stuff,” Kerr said.

His absence was a surprise to everyone on the morning of media day before the Warriors departed for training camp in Hawaii. Coaches had seen Porziņģis working out at Chase Center leading up to training camp, but general manager Mike Dunleavy two weeks ago on Sept. 28 announced that Porziņģis is out indefinitely for what’s being described as a “health issue.”

Porziņģis, whom the Warriors acquired from the Atlanta Hawks at last season’s trade deadline for Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield, was expected to be the team’s starting center for the 2026-27 NBA season. Counting on him to remain healthy is a gamble for multiple reasons. He can be penciled into the lineup when healthy, but his availability is never a guarantee. 

Since playing 65 games for the Washington Wizards in the 2022-23 season, Porziņģis’ games played have gone down year by year. Porziņģis played 57 games for the Boston Celtics in 2023-24, 52 for them in 2024-25 and then a total of 32 games last season between the Hawks and Warriors. He played in only 17 of a possible 53 games for the Hawks, and then 15 of a possible 27 games for the Warriors after making his team debut – plus both games in the NBA play-in tournament. 

The 7-foot-2 center averaged 16.1 points and 5.3 rebounds in 15 regular-season games for the Warriors. Porziņģis then scored 20 points with five rebounds, five assists and two blocked shots in the Warriors’ play-in tournament win over the LA Clippers. He then was held to just 11 points and one rebound in 15 minutes two nights later when the Warriors’ season ended in Phoenix while being hampered by a sore ankle.

Without Porziņģis, the Warriors started Steph Curry, Brandin Podziemski, Yaxel Lendeborg, Draymond Green and Al Horford in their first preseason game. In their second game, though, Gui Santos replaced Horford, and Kerr has used that starting lineup twice in the preseason. 

That same starting group is who most likely will open the season against the Lakers at Crypto.comArena.

“Leaning towards it,” Kerr confirmed. “Al could be in there, but given just where he is minutes-wise per game … if a guy’s going to play 20, which is probably about the limit or where we’d like him to average, it’s just a lot easier to bring him off the bench. 

“I also like the idea of having Draymond or Al on the court as often as possible to anchor our defense. So yeah, I’m leaning that way.”

Horford, 40, did not play in Saturday’s game because of a left knee contusion he sustained prior to the Warriors beating the Sacramento Kings. He also did not participate in Monday’s scrimmage and won’t travel for Tuesday’s game, which Kerr says already was pre-planned maintenance for the 20-year veteran.

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