The Golden State Warriors just got slammed with troubling news: veteran big man Kristaps Porzingis is seriously thinking about retiring from basketball. NBA insider Shams Charania dropped the bombshell on Wednesday, reporting that Porzingis is dealing with recurring symptoms from POTS, an autonomic condition, and has been away from team activities, missing both training camp and preseason games. He signed a two-year, $40 million deal with the Warriors, but his future on the court is now up in the air due to these health issues.
Porzingis’ Health Nightmare Pushes Warriors to Act
This is a gut punch for the Warriors, who were hoping to stay in the mix for playoff contention this season. With Porzingis contemplating stepping away from the game because of his recurring medical problems, Golden State clearly can’t afford to wait around. The reports are already out there: the Warriors have started shopping Porzingis. You can bet they’re desperate to keep that “dwindling window of the Steph Curry era” open, and not having a crucial big man like Porzingis is a major blow right out of the gate. They need answers, and they need them now.
Myles Turner Emerges as the Top Target
So, who could the Warriors even look at? Milwaukee-based podcaster Ti Windisch threw out a name to keep an eye on: Bucks center Myles Turner. Windisch hit the nail on the head, pointing out that the Warriors have “nearly all of their picks and clearly desired a stretch 5 to pair with Curry/Draymond.” NBA insider Evan Sidery backed this up, reporting that Golden State has already reached out to Milwaukee about a potential Turner trade. And honestly, it makes a ton of sense. Turner is a skilled big man who can stretch the floor, protect the rim, and he’s got the experience, having played over 70 games in each of the last three seasons. At 30 years old, the 11-year NBA veteran is coming off a solid season for the Bucks, putting up 11.9 points and 5.3 rebounds in 71 games. He’s exactly the kind of player a “retooling” Warriors team needs to stay competitive.
The Steep Price for a New Big Man
But acquiring Turner isn’t going to be easy, or cheap. League salary rules make this trade super tricky. Porzingis’ $20 million contract isn’t enough to match Turner’s $26.58 million salary for the 2026-27 season. That leaves the Warriors a whopping $6.58 million short. To bridge that gap, Golden State would likely need to include a player like Moses Moody, whose $12.50 million contract would make the deal financially legal. They could also look at younger guys like Will Richard, who’s on a rookie contract, or Gui Santos, with a salary around $5 million. But let’s be real, throwing in Moody and future draft picks would make this an incredibly costly move for the Warriors. It’s still unclear if Golden State is willing to pay that hefty price, or if Milwaukee even wants Porzingis and his health concerns in return. The next few days are going to be wild, as we wait to see if the Warriors can pull off a deal to keep their season from spiraling before it really even starts.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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