Kristaps Porzingis Steps Away From NBA to Prioritize Health

Former NBA champion Kristaps Porzingis is stepping away from basketball for the time being as he prioritizes his health. The 31-year-old announced his decision on Friday, revealing that, from a physical standpoint, his body just hasn't responded the way he expected it to leading up to the season, which explains his absence and inability to play games up to this point.

An ongoing health issue has sparked this, and there's uncertainty surrounding what that issue actually is and whether or not he'll ever return to the court again. What we do know is that for the time being, he will not be playing basketball, which is unfortunate for a player who still has plenty left in the tank in terms of age and the way he's looked on the court.

The 7-foot-3 center is a great rim protector and has a beautiful jumper. He's one of the most unique talents in basketball, but it's unclear when he'll be back on the court again, if ever. This has been one of the biggest storylines of the past few weeks.

Kristaps Porzingis Announces His Absence

In that statement on Friday, Porzingis explained that he had been looking forward to playing with the Golden State Warriors this season, but just isn't physically where he needs to be.

And though he indicated he's doing well overall, it's more about how his body is responding. He's pushed for a return, but it's just not possible right now, and there's no timeline for a potential return.

And this wasn't a retirement announcement, but his statement also indicated that he's going to work with Golden State to determine a path forward.

Warriors Facing Uncertainty Without Porzingis

Golden State acquired Porzingis from the Atlanta Hawks last season before signing him to a two-year, $40 million contract this summer. The expectation was that the 7-foot-3 center could add another dimension to the Warriors' offense with perimeter shooting and rim protection.

But again, he's unable to play, and so that makes this whole situation even more complex, given he was just signed to a new deal and hasn't been able to perform at all in training camp, preseason or the regular season.

So now the future is uncertain for the 31-year-old, but more news should emerge in the near future as decisions are made on his path forward as well as Golden State's path forward.