Category: Basketball

Brandon Ingram is working his way back and is close to his debut with the Los Angeles Clippers.

The two-time All-Star has been the biggest absence for the team this season, considering he will be an immediate starter upon his return.

He is recovering from right heel surgery he had in May. He is also dealing with a partially torn Achilles tendon.

“I'm pretty close,” Ingram told reporters during media availability on Friday. “I've been on the floor a little bit more than I've been in the past. I didn't have a summer to have 5-on-5, move at all, but I'm gaining that confidence right now.”

The Clippers acquired Ingram as one of the primary trade assets in the package sent over by the Toronto Raptors for Kawhi Leonard during the offseason.

Ingram told reporters he was initially supposed to have a bone removed from his heel, but the doctors found the partially torn Achilles during that procedure. While sidelined, he’s remained close to the team and appreciates the players' efforts.

"I actually want to commend those guys because everybody is in new positions and asked to do more,” Ingram said. “So the guys are trying. They're playing really, really good defense.”

Ingram’s return would be welcomed, especially on the offensive end of the floor. The All-Star led Toronto with 21.5 points and was third in rebounds (5.6) last season. He started 77 games for the Raptors.

“They're trying to figure it out on the offensive end,” Ingram said. “When I come in, I want to play make, make it a little bit easier for guys to catch and shoot, and not have to make so many decisions. And be able to, when it gets down to it, be able to score."

Ingram already had a level of familiarity with head coach Tyronn Lue and assistant coach Jeff Van Gundy from playing for Team USA during the 2023 FIBA World Cup.

Ingram, center Yanic Konan Niederhäuser and Max Strus, who has the ability to play as both a guard and forward, were recalled on Nov. 2. The trio participated in a weekend assignment with the team’s G-League affiliate.

Konan Niederhäuser is working his way back from right Lisfranc surgery. Strus was recovering from a partial tear to his right plantar fascia.

"Max came back and had a big impact on the team,” Ingram said. “He's made the team better. Yanic is coming back soon.

“... As a full team, I think we're gonna mesh well. And we'll be a little better than we have been. But in these games that we lost, we've been right in the game. Just fix a few mistakes and we can win those games."

The Clippers won the season opener against the Sacramento Kings before losing seven straight. Los Angeles will host the New Orleans Pelicans on Nov. 8.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Brandon Ingram is 'pretty close' to making debut with L.A. Clippers: Latest injury update

LeBron James might have chosen to join the Philadelphia 76ers instead of returning to the Cleveland Cavaliers, but it was all love in "The Land."

James and the 76ers took on the Cavaliers in Cleveland for an NBA Cup game on Friday, Nov. 6. and the atmosphere was warm and welcoming for the 24-year veteran and Ohio native.

In the tunnel to the locker room, there was a video board that said "Welcome Home LeBron!" with an image of him holding up Cleveland's 2016 NBA Finals trophy. During the Prime pregame show, a young fan held up James' St. Vincent–St. Mary High School jersey, and other fans were shown wearing Cavaliers jerseys with James' name on them.

Just before tipoff, James did his signature chalk toss and fans were crowding around with their phones to record the moment. A video from ESPN NBA reporter Dave McMenamin on X showed that as the 76ers were being announced, Jaylen Brown and Joel Embiid received boos but James was greeted with cheers.

LeBron James greeted by his customary cheers from the Cleveland crowd when announced in the starting lineup as a visiting Philadelphia 76ers player for the first time pic.twitter.com/y0SFp1Kohd

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) November 7, 2026

This offseason, James informed the Los Angeles Lakers that he was going to leave the team. The Cavaliers were among the teams that the NBA's all-time leading scorer was considering. The 76ers won the battle with James crediting Tyrese Maxey for helping him make his decision.

James' 76ers teammate Dean Wade also joined Philadelphia this offseason after spending the first seven seasons of his career in Cleveland. He spoke to the media ahead of the game about his memories facing James in his hometown.

"In my seven years, anytime that LeBron came back it was just a madhouse. It was crazy," he said in a video posted byMcMenamin on X. "The fans were awesome. So I expect that to be what tonight's going to be like. Super loud, a lot of energy. I think it's gonna be a fun night."

According to the Prime pregame show, James hasn't beat the Cavaliers in Cleveland since November 25, 2023 when the Lakers won 121-115. He had 22 points, six assists and six rebounds.

James grew up in Akron, Ohio and joined the Cavaliers out of high school as the No.1 overall pick in the 2003 draft. He spent the first seven seasons of his career in Cleveland before leaving to join the Miami Heat in "The Decision" in 2010. After winning two championships in South Beach, he returned for the 2014-15 season. He guided the Cavaliers to their first NBA title in 2016 when he was named Finals MVP. James left again in 2018 to join the Lakers and won his fourth championship in 2020.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: LeBron James gets warm welcome in Cleveland as 76ers face Cavaliers

The Cleveland Cavaliers will try to start their NBA Cup season with a win over the Philadelphia 76ers.

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CLEVELAND — Donovan Mitchell is taking four fewer shots per game this season compared to last year. Should the Cleveland Cavaliers be concerned?

“The shot attempt stuff doesn’t bother me in the least,” head coach Kenny Atkinson said when asked that very question.

Even though Mitchell is taking fewer shots, he’s taking a similar percentage of looks at the rim. A quarter of Mitchell’s attempts have been in the restricted area this season; that’s slightly better than last season when he was taking 24% of his shots at the rim.

If you wanted to point at something more negative, you could say that he’s shooting a lower percentage on shots at the rim and below the free-throw line. Additionally, his free-throw rate is also down slightly, and he’s gone from driving 18.5 times per game to just 15.6.

That said, Mitchell has been slightly more efficient as he’s averaging 1.24 points per shot attempt (88th percentile) and has an effective field-goal percentage of 57.4% (85th percentile).

Instead of worrying about Mitchell’s shots, Atkinson is looking at something different.

“That’s my theme to him: Can you make others better?” Atkinson said. “That’s important for this group. You have to continue to make others better, make the right play. So I judge it more…I don’t look at field goal attempts.”

The blueprint for what Atkinson wants to see from Mitchell is last season’s Game 7 against the Detroit Pistons. In that game, Mitchell came out with an effort to set up teammates, which led to him finishing with eight assists and no turnovers.

We’ve seen glimpses of this during the season. The first game against the Oklahoma City Thunder (when Mitchell had 11 assists) and the win over the Washington Wizards are both examples of that. He made a concerted effort to get others involved, and the Cavs were better off for it.

On the flip side, there’s a balance to this. Mitchell’s efforts to set up others need to come from being aggressive and getting to his spots on the floor. And from those spots, he needs to be getting others involved. That isn’t something he is necessarily doing well early on. Mitchell sometimes feels a little too passive from an energy standpoint, which is where some of the criticism is coming from.

Ultimately, Mitchell is a scorer. But scoring will become easier for him when he’s a threat to find teammates on his drives to the paint.

The Cavs are a work in progress at this point of the season, and so is their best player. The team is asking him to emphasize different skills than they have in previous years. And if he’s able to do so consistently, they’ll be better off for it in the long term.

“I know he can get 40 every night,” Atkinson said. “I know he can shoot 25 times a game. He needs to empower others around him, and I think he does a hell of a job at it.”

The Dallas Mavericks (4-4) play host to the feckless Utah Jazz (1-7) on Friday night as the start of a three game home stand. The Mavericks are coming off of two straight losses, to the Kings Monday then the Spurs on Friday. The Jazz have lost six straight, their most recent an overtime game to the New Orleans Pelicans. Both teams need a win to get back on track. Here are the main things you need to know:

• WHO: Dallas Mavericks vs Utah Jazz
• WHAT: Start of a homestand
• WHERE: American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas
• WHEN: 7:30 pm CST
• HOW: KFAA

In what qualifies as actual news, Santi Aldama is listed as probable and he is at least available make his debut as a Dallas Maverick tonight. Coach Dusty May told reporters before the game, “We want to see him play, but obviously he hasn’t played 5-on-5 with the main guys yet.” Max Christie is also listed as probable after missing last game with a hip issue. Sergio De Larrea and Tarik Biberovic are still listed as out with their respective injuries. Kyrie Irving is also listed as probable, apparently dealing with an illness. Caleb Martin is on the injury report as he’s wearing a splint, but he is available to play.

The Utah Jazz are without center Jaren Jackson Jr., who has an MCL tear, and Jusuf Nurkic, who has a plantar plate tear.

The youthful Jazz have much, much better talent than their 1-7 record, so the Mavericks would be wise to approach this game as a must-win. The moral victory of coming back to the Spurs is nice for a day, but this team is capable of wins, and this matchup is one I could see catching the team by surprise. This is the first of three games in four days, but all four are winnable contests, so it would be great to see the Mavericks put together a complete game.

Since you’re here checking out this post, it’s for one of two reasons.

• Injury report news
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If you’re part of the former, please consider signing up for an account. You get way fewer ads, and you can comment! If you’re part of the latter group: GO GET THE APP. I’m serious. The app has some real-time features specifically for game threads like this one and you can comment and get notified really, really easily. It’s part of what’s keeping this whole series of sites going. So go do it for us and in doing so, you’ll see why the experience is simply better.

Consider joining me on Pod Maverick live after the game on YouTube; I will be going live tonight, and I need y’all to join and participate!

CHARLOTTE — The Celtics will start Derrick White, Jordan Walsh, Paul George, Jayson Tatum, and Neemias Queta when they face the Charlotte Hornets on Friday night.

It’s the first time that particular combination has started; Walsh started the first five games of the season, while Hugo Gonzalez started in place of him over the last three. Similarly, Mitchell Robinson started the first five games of the season, while Neemias Queta started the last three.

At Celtics shootaround Friday morning, Walsh was hard on himself when asked to evaluate how his first 8 games have gone.

Walsh’s minutes trended downwards in the games Gonzalez started. After playing 18 or more minutes in three of the Celtics’ first four games, he hasn’t played more than 12 minutes since October 27th.

“I haven’t been playing great — but the starting, not starting thing, it’s not about that,” Walsh said. “That’s just kind of Joe’s thing, like he wants to try new things. Like, that’s fine. But I’m still playing the same amount of minutes. So, I still gotta produce in those minutes. Like, I gotta do that better.”

On the other side, the Hornets will start Grayson Allen, Naz Reid, Brandon Miller, Colby White, and Ryan Kalkbrenner.

It is the Celtics’ second NBA Cup game of the season; they previously beat the Chicago Bulls 125-111 in the first game of of Group Play.

The Celtics are 6-2 to start the year, while the Hornets are 3-6.

The Atlanta Hawks (5-4) kick off their NBA Cup campaign with the home portion of a two-game set against the Washington Wizards (4-4) in what figures to be Trae Young’s first time playing in State Farm Arena as a Wizard.

Jalen Johnson will miss a third consecutive game with a left ankle sprain.

A player health update presented by @emoryhealthcare for tonight’s game vs. Washington:

Keshon Gilbert (left knee inflammation): Out
Mouhamed Gueye (left foot fracture): Out
Jalen Johnson (left ankle sprain): Out
Jock Landale (left hip strain): Out
Asa Newell (left great toe… pic.twitter.com/fFB06UBxiU

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) November 6, 2026

Starting lineup:

G Kingston Flemings

G Nickeil Alexander-Walker

F Dyson Daniels

F Luguentz Dort

C Onyeka Okongwu

Please join in the comments below as you follow along.

Where, When, and How to Watch and Listen

Location: State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA

Start Time: 7:00 PM EST

TV: Peachtree TV (WPCH), Atlanta News First (WANF)

Radio: Sports Radio 92.9 the Game (WZGC-FM)

Streaming:Amazon Prime, NBA League Pass (out of market), Youtube TV (NBA League Pass out of market)

Greetings, Panthers fans. Welcome to the weekend.

Feel free to use this thread to chat about (almost) anything you want: video games, food, movies, non-football sports, you name it. As long as it’s allowed by the site’s ToS, it’s fair game here.

You know the drill. If you don’t then follow the handy instruction below to sign up and join the conversation:

This is now an open thread

The Suns finally exhaled. One win, and a lot left to prove.

Thursday’s 117-104 win over Orlando snapped a four-game losing streak, and after weeks of struggle, this fan base needed it just as much as the team did.

Now the hard part. Phoenix is 2-5, and the win came against a Magic team missing Paolo Banchero and Jalen Suggs and coming off two straight games under 100 points. Credit Phoenix for handling it on the second night of a back-to-back, but nobody is booking a playoff run off that.

This is the middle of a four-games-in-six-nights homestand that could make or break the season before it started. Portland, Houston, and San Antonio are three of the top six teams in the West. Orlando was supposed to be the “easy” one. Phoenix is 1-1 through the stretch, and the bar was 2-2. That means stealing one from the Rockets on Saturday or the Spurs right after. Easier said than done.

So forget the box score for a minute. The real value of the Orlando game is that Phoenix showed, for 48 minutes, what a winning version of this roster looks like. The question for this week is how much of it carries over.

Suns got killed on the glass (by 15!) and shot 11 less free throws, yet still won by double digits.

Winning the turnover battle (25-14) and shooting 50% from three compared to Orlando’s 34% outweighed those first two stats and then some. https://t.co/pTZnTBPIcf

— Zona (@AZSportsZone) November 6, 2026

How They Won

Defense first, and it showed up in the turnover column

Orlando gave it away 25 times. Phoenix gave it away 14. That 11-turnover swing was the single biggest reason the Suns won. They pressured the ball, jumped passing lanes and turned stops into transition looks. Booker had 3 steals and Dillon Brooks had 2. When the defense gets set and forces mistakes, the offense gets easy shots and the whole night snowballs in the right direction.

Three-point volume with efficiency

Phoenix went 17-of-34 from deep. Orlando went 13-of-38. That is 12 extra points from distance on four fewer attempts. Those made up a 15-rebound deficit and 11 fewer free throws.

Everybody took a turn

Devin Booker set the tone with 12 in the first quarter and 23 by halftime, finishing with 30 on 11-of-22 shooting, 8 assists, and a +16. Luke Kennard rescued the bench in the second quarter with 12 points on 3 threes. When Phoenix opened the third with sloppy turnovers, Brooks took the baton and finished with 24 points, 4 threes and a +12. Miles Bridges did the dirty work with 18 points, 13 rebounds and 5 assists.

Devin Booker went 8-of-13 in the first half against Orlando.

Fun stat:

When Booker attempts 13+ shots in the first half, the Suns are 64–46 (.582) in his career.

When he shoots 60% or better on 13+ first-half attempts? That winning percentage jumps to .727.

Feed Book early. pic.twitter.com/T4Hz0F22e0

— John Voita, III (@DarthVoita) November 6, 2026

What travels and what doesn’t

What travels: the effort and the defensive intent. Ball pressure works against anybody. The Suns looked more engaged on that end than at any point during the losing streak, and that does not depend on who is across from them.

What probably doesn’t: 50% from three. Phoenix is not shooting that every night, and a healthy, disciplined opponent will not hand over 25 turnovers. Strip those two numbers back toward normal and the Orlando game gets a lot closer.

What got exposed: the Suns were outrebounded by 15 and took 11 fewer free throws. Orlando went just 13-of-24 at the line and wasted the gap. Better teams will cash it in from the charity stripe.

It will take a complete, 48-minute effort to win these games. They had positive flashes that lasted 12-15 minutes in the previous three games leading up to the Orlando game, but were unable to put it all together and pull out wins.

Devin Booker said tonight's win was the closest to playing a complete game for the Suns. #Suns

— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) November 6, 2026

The recipe is simple. Being active defensively, communicating relentlessly, and staying connected are the keys to winning games you aren’t supposed to.

They won’t beat Houston or San Antonio if they get killed on the glass or in the interior again. You get that leeway against Orlando. But the concept of winning a complete game like Orlando is a building block they can take into these next two games.

They may have to do it in a different way, but staying locked in for 48 minutes is the only way they stand a chance.

As Luka Dončić sets the league aflame with an unparalleled scoring run to open the season, he’s leaving a trail of awestruck opponents in his wake.

When he dropped 42 points on the Heat at the start of the week, Giannis Antetokounmpo was certain to make sure his standing in the league all-time, not just current, was known.

“When you have a guy like Luka, obviously he’s one of the best scorers to ever play this game, if not the best,” Giannis said before a reporter added a “right now” at the end of his statement. “Not right now, not right now. Of all time. I feel like some people are scared to say that but it’s gotta be up there.”

A few days later, Luka scored 42 against the Kings, prompting a similar compliment from Zach LaVine.

Zach LaVine on Luka Doncic:

"Luka's one of the most talented players of all time. I don't think people actually give him enough credit for how good he really is. He one of the best scorers of all time" pic.twitter.com/F1J7iRHawh

— Oh No He Didn't 🤯 (@ohnohedidnt24) November 5, 2026

As a brief aside, LaVine had also had a funny interaction with Austin Reaves during his postgame presser after Reaves accidentally walked into the wrong room.

Austin Reaves accidentally walked into Zach LaVine’s postgame press conference, giving the two a chance to clear the air after an elbow during the game. pic.twitter.com/NZ4hbtK5bC

— Mark Haynes (@markhaynesnba) November 5, 2026

As for Luka, his performances are hard to properly describe at this point. He’s putting up numbers that we haven’t seen in a long time. The only way to properly qualify what he’s doing is to put it in an all-time context, because no one in the league has done this before.

And that’s how both Giannis and LaVine framed it. Granted, NBA players often aren’t the best at putting things in proper context — look no further than their All-Star voting — but they’re also the only ones with firsthand experience.

If Luka is leaving them repeating a similar sort of sentiment, then it’s hard not to agree.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.

The Washington Wizards (4-4) have struggled against relentless ball-pressure, most recently succumbing to the Atlanta Hawks’ stout defense two days ago. Crazy enough, as former Hawk Trae Young put it, Washington faces the same opponent again on Friday.

Young, who spent eight seasons in Atlanta before a trade to Washington last January, returns to State Farm Arena for his first game as the opposition. The four-time All-Star is averaging 19.6 points and 9.6 assists through eight games.

The Wizards’ rebounding issues, mainly on the defensive end, have plagued them all season — including a 57-41 rebounding deficit in Wednesday’s 120-105 loss to the Hawks (5-4). Brian Keefe said his group’s rebounding hasn’t been good enough. We’ll see Friday if his team improves on the glass.

Anthony Davis (ankle sprain) is OUT Friday. It’s the first game he’s missed this season.

Game information:

Opponent: Atlanta Hawks

Tip-off: 7 p.m.

Location: State Farm Arena

TV: Monumental Sports Network

Radio: 106.7 The Fan

You can chat about the game in the comments below!

Golden State Warriors center Kristaps Porziņģis, who has not been with the team as he addresses long-term health concerns, announced he will step away from basketball.

“This season I was really looking forward to running it with this group, but as I ramped up, my body didn’t respond the way I anticipated,” Porziņģis wrote Friday, Nov. 6 in a statement posted to social media.

“I’m doing good, but I know what it takes, and I’m not where I want to be to perform at the level that I expect from myself. At this point, I’ve made the decision to prioritize my health and step away from the game I love.”

It’s worth noting that Porziņģis didn’t outright mention retirement in the statement, which could potentially leave a return to the sport down the road, should his health improve.

Porziņģis, 31, has been dealing with an undisclosed illness that has prevented him from joining the Warriors. He had missed all of training camp in late September and has been away from the team. Warriors coach Steve Kerr said last month that Porziņģis would be in the team facility for a check-in with Golden State’s sports medicine and performance team.

Previously, stretching back to Porziņģis’ final season with the Celtics in 2024-25, he had expressed frustrations over repeated absences that were caused from an undiagnosed condition that prevented him from having the energy and stamina to play.

Eventually, Porziņģis disclosed that he was dealing with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) autoimmune symptoms, though he has not offered specific updates in recent months.

🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/d0UoELOmye

— Kristaps Porzingis (@kporzee) November 6, 2026

The Celtics traded Porziņģis to the Hawks in June 2025. Just eight months later, Atlanta then shipped Porziņģis in a separate deal to the Warriors, where he played only 15 games for the team.

ESPN reported Wednesday, Nov. 4 that Porziņģis was not being paid his $20 million salary for failing to render services to the team.

A one-time All-Star, Porziņģis is known for stretching the floor with his shooting range, while providing a rim-protecting presence on the other end. Across his 10-year career, Porziņģis has averaged 19.5 points, 7.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game in 533 appearances.

“In this situation, I want to show the utmost respect for the Golden State Warriors and work with them to find a solution that makes sense,” Porziņģis continued in his statement. “I’m thankful to my family and close ones for always being there. Much appreciation to all of you for the support. Onwards and upwards.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Warriors' Kristaps Porzingis issues update on his health, NBA future

Welp, another season, another chance for someone to go 82-0 squandered. Both the Memphis Grizzlies and Houston Rockets saw their unblemished records add blemishes over the past week. Meanwhile, the Brooklyn Nets and Sacramento Kings got off the snide to nab their first wins of the season.

The Philadelphia 76ers are 8-1 atop the East. The Portland Trail Blazers are 6-1 atop the West. The Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs have each won six in a row. The New Orleans Pelicans have bounced back from an 0-4 start to sit .500 at 4-4. Luka Dončić and Victor Wembanyama keep making history and leading their teams to victory.

Here are a handful of the best stories from the past week as well as key news you may have missed.

Atlanta Hawks

• Hawks’ smaller lineup gives Quin Snyder another way to win — Peachtree Hoops

Boston Celtics

• Paul George is still elite and it’s time to talk about it — Celtics Blog

Cleveland Cavaliers

• Donovan Mitchell needs to shoot more, not less — Fear the Sword

Denver Nuggets

• Could Denver overcome a ‘down’ year from Nikola Jokic? Absolutely not — ESPN

Golden State Warriors

• Steph Curry on facing Klay Thompson: ‘Every time we play against him it’s one closer to the end’ — Yahoo Sports
• Yaxel Lendeborg is the NBA’s most entertaining rookie – and he’s not holding back — The Guardian
• Warriors withholding payments to Porzingis, sources say

Houston Rockets

• Should the drama over Kevin Durant’s shots really matter? Well, it’s complicated — The Athletic

Indiana Pacers

• The Pacers are getting a sobering reminder of how fragile NBA success can be — SB Nation
• Why Are The Pacers Dealing With So Many Hamstring Injuries Already? — Forbes

Los Angeles Lakers

• The Lakers ‘live on a spaceship,’ and Luka Dončić looks like the best damn pilot in the galaxy — Yahoo Sports
• How brotherly love — and some s— talk — made Luka Dončić feel at home with the Lakers — The Athletic

Miami Heat

• Giannis Antetokounmpo ‘didn’t want to be the bad guy’ and ask for trade from Bucks, says Doc Rivers — Yahoo Sports
• Giannis is playing defense like a toddler chasing a ball — SB Nation
• Why are the Heat struggling? Look to the wings — The Athletic

New Orleans Pelicans

• Jamahl Mosley has the New Orleans Pelicans believing — Andscape

Oklahoma City Thunder

• OKC Thunder sets Russell Westbrook jersey retirement ceremony date — The Oklahoman

Philadelphia 76ers

• Windhorst & MacMahon: What league insiders are seeing from Philly’s 8-1 start — ESPN
• Inside LeBron’s first game in Philly — more than two decades ago — ESPN
• Now 26 years old, Tyrese Maxey’s career trajectory remains remarkable — Liberty Ballers

Phoenix Suns

• The best version of Devin Booker is the one attacking early — Bright Side of the Sun

Portland Trail Blazers

• Trail Blazers coach Micah Nori isn’t afraid to demand perfection. Just ask his son — The Athletic

San Antonio Spurs

• Victor Wembanyama did something only Wilt Chamberlain has done before — SB Nation

Toronto Raptors

• The old Jakob Poeltl isn’t walking through that door — Raptors in 7 Substack

Kristaps Porziņģis has reached a decision about his basketball future.

The 31-year-old released a statement via his social media on Friday that clarified what his future holds after he has been away from the Warriors while navigating health issues.

“This season I was really looking forward to running it with this group, but as I ramped up, my body didn’t respond the way I anticipated,” Porziņģis wrote in a post to his X account on Friday.

“I’m doing good, but I know what it takes, and I’m not where I want to be to perform at the level that I expect from myself. At this point, I’ve made the decision to prioritize my health and step away from the game I love,” his post continued.

“In this situation, I want to show the utmost respect for the Golden State Warriors and work with them to find a solution that makes sense. I’m thankful to my family and close ones for always being there. Much appreciation to all of you for the support.

“Onwards and upwards. — Kristaps Porzingis,” it concluded.

Porziņģis posted it to his X account with the caption, “”.

pic.twitter.com/d0UoELOmye

— Kristaps Porzingis (@kporzee) November 6, 2026

Porziņģis was diagnosed as POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome) in 2025. He has been absent from the Warriors this entire season, and said several weeks ago that he was considering stepping away from basketball.

Golden State had not been paying him his $20 million contract for this season, as the team ruled that, “he is not rendering services” while being absent.

It will be interesting to see what the next steps are for Porziņģis as he navigates this crossroads in his life.

The Kristaps Porziņģis saga has followed the Golden State Warriors around since the very first day of training camp. And while it seems like it will stay in the news cycle for quite a while, on Friday it took another step towards resolution, with the one-time All-Star posting a statement on social media, which seemed to suggest that he is retiring.

🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/d0UoELOmye

— Kristaps Porzingis (@kporzee) November 6, 2026

The statement, which he signed and labeled “official statement,” reads in full as follows:

This season I was really looking forward to running it with this group, but as I ramped up, my body didn’t respond the way I anticipated.

I’m doing good, but I know what it takes, and I’m not where I want to be to perform at the level that I expect from myself. At this point, I’ve made the decision to prioritize my health and step away from the game I love.

In this situation, I want to show the utmost respect for the Golden State Warriors and work with them to find a solution that makes sense.

I’m thankful to my family and close ones for always being there. Much appreciation to all of you for the support.

Onwards and upwards.

Porziņģis’ statement is in line with all the reporting in recent days. Earlier today, our Marc Delucchi wrote about the reports that Porziņģis had played his last game with the team, and all that was left was to handle a trade for a player who was unlikely to ever play again. That came after news earlier in the week that Golden State was withholding payments towards Porziņģis’ $20 million salary, and that neither Porziņģis nor the Players Association had plans to contest that.

So now what? It appears that Porziņģis is set to retire, but first wants to help out the Warriors. By remaining an active player — even an unpaid one — Porziņģis retains his cap hold which can be used to facilitate a trade. The Warriors can now attempt to trade Porziņģis’ contract to a team in search of an expiring deal, and willing to offer a longer-term contract in exchange, such as the Milwaukee Bucks with Myles Turner, to name one of the many players the Dubs have been linked to.

After Porziņģis’ contract is used to facilitate a trade — likely sooner rather than later — he can formally announce his retirement.