The Golden State Warriors have stopped making salary payments to Kristaps Porzingis, having decided that the absent veteran centre is not providing his services to the club.
ESPN reported the development, citing league sources, and said the 31-year-old is due $20 million this season. Porzingis is reportedly leaning towards retiring from the NBA.
Despite that, general manager Mike Dunleavy and the front office are said to be continuing to look for trade opportunities built around his contract. According to ESPN, team sources indicated there are no current plans to void the deal, which keeps Golden State's options open until the 11 February trade deadline.
Because the contract is close to expiring, a rival club could take it on to offload a longer-term salary, saving money and potentially freeing a roster place through a buyout. Depending on what the Warriors are prepared to include, a trade could also theoretically bring back a draft asset.
League sources told ESPN that Porzingis is not challenging the withheld payments, and the players' union has no plans to contest them either. The outlet noted a comparable case last season, when the Miami Heat stopped paying guard Terry Rozier during a federal investigation into a gambling scandal while still exploring trades involving his contract.
Porzingis, who has dealt with a prolonged health problem over the past two seasons, agreed a two-year, $40 million extension with Golden State in the summer, with only $3 million of the second year guaranteed. Shortly before training camp, however, he phoned Dunleavy and stepped away.
Team sources said the Warriors initially gave him room but expected him to come back to the facility to be with teammates and medical staff during his recovery. Following an early October meeting with Dunleavy and Rick Celebrini, the club's lead medical decision-maker, the team issued a statement saying he would be present.
That arrangement did not hold. Porzingis left the facility and has not come back, and the Warriors deliberately changed his listed status from out with general illness to not with team. His absence is no longer regarded as excused.
On the court, Golden State have recovered from an 0-3 start to win five games in a row without him.