The Big Guy Is Coming Back: Kristaps Poržiš Returns to the Golden State Warriors

What do you get when a 7-foot-2 basketball player who can shoot threes AND block shots decides to re-sign with the team he loves playing for? You get one very exciting Warriors season ahead! Let’s break down everything you need to know about this newest NBA move — in the simplest way possible.

Who Is Kristaps Poržiņš?

Imagine a basketball player who is so tall he could basically rest his chin on the top of a doorframe. That’s Kristaps Poržiņš. He stands at an impressive 7 feet 2 inches tall — that’s taller than most doorways!

Here’s what makes him special:

• He’s what people in the NBA call a "center" — this is usually the tallest player on the team whose main job is to protect the basket, grab rebounds, and score close to the hoop.
• But here’s the cool twist: even though he’s super tall, he can also shoot the basketball from really far away (we call those "3-pointers").
• That rare mix of being tall enough to block shots AND skilled enough to shoot from long range makes him a very valuable player.

Over his 10 years in the NBA, he has averaged:

• 19.5 points per game
• 1.8 blocks per game (a block is when you stop the other team from scoring by swatting their shot away)
• He shoots 36.4% on 3-pointers, taking about 5.2 threes per game

So What Just Happened?

Kristaps Poržiņš just signed a deal to return to the Golden State Warriors. Here are the big details:

• Contract length: 2 years
• Total money: $40 million
• Last season: 2027-28

Important Point: The contract includes something called a "player option" for the second year. This means Poržiņš can choose whether he wants to stay or leave after the first year. It gives him the power to decide his own future.

His agent (think of an agent as a person whose job is to handle contracts and money stuff for the athlete), Jeff Schwartz, of Excel Sports Management, shared this news with ESPN’s Shams Charania.

Important Point: According to ESPN’s Bobby Marks, this deal likely stops the Warriors from using something called the "full non-taxpayer mid-level exception" this summer. In super simple terms, the NBA has rules about how much money teams can spend on players. Because of this contract, the Warriors won’t be able to use one of their special spending tools to sign other players. This shows how expensive (in terms of salary cap rules) this deal is for the team.

How Did Poržiţiš End Up with the Warriors in the First Place?

Let’s trace his journey, because it’s been a winding road recently:

Step 1: He Was Playing for the Boston Celtics

Poržiņš was on the Boston Celtics — that’s a team (and yes, the spelling is Celtics, not "Seltics" — it trips### Step 2: He Got Sick

In February 2025, something happened that really his career. He got an illness, and the Celtics’ team doctors figured out it was something called POTS — which stands for Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome.

Let’s break that scary-sounding name down in the simplest way:

• It’s a condition related to your autonomic nervous system — that’s the part of your body that runs things automatically without you thinking about it, like your heartbeat and breathing.
• When someone has POTS, their heart rate can shoot up dramatically, especially when they stand up.
• It can also cause dizziness (feeling woozy or like the room is spinning) and extreme fatigue (feeling really, really tired).

This is a big deal for an athlete. Imagine your heart racing like you just ran a sprint — but you’re just standing up. It makes playing a fast-paced sport like basketball incredibly difficult.

Step 3: A Very Limited Season

Because of his illness, Poržiņš only played in 42 games that season for Boston. That’s way less than the full NBA season. A normal season is 82 games.

Step 4: He Got Traded — Twice!

The following year, things got really busy for Poržiņš:

1. First trade: He was traded to the Atlanta Hawks.
2. Second trade: He was then traded to the Golden State Warriors at the trade deadline (the trade deadline is like the last day teams can swap players during the season).

Step 5: His Rocky Start in Golden State

His first game for the Warriors was in February. But then… he didn’t play again for the rest of the month.

He finally returned on March 7. After that game, he told reporters something very important:

Important Point: "I’m feeling healthy again."

Three simple words, but they meant the world to Warriors fans and to Poržiš himself.

Step 6: He Showed Everyone What He Could Do

Not long after his return, he played his best game for the Warriors:

• 30 points
• 4 assists (passes that lead directly to a teammate scoring)
• 3 blocks steals**

And the Warriors won that game against the Washington Wizards. Talk about making a statement!

How Did He Do Overall with the Warriors?

In the time he was with Golden State (just 15 games), his stats were:

Those are solid numbers, especially considering he was coming back from an illness and adjusting to a new team mid-season.

Why Does This Matter?

Here’s the big picture:

1. The Warriors believe in him. A two-year, $40 million contract is a significant investment. They clearly think he can be a big part of their team going forward.
2. He’s healthy (or at least says he is). That POTS illness was a major question mark. His return on March 7 and his strong performance after that are encouraging signs.
3. His skill set is rare. How many 7-foot-2 players can block shots AND shoot threes at a 36+% rate? Not many. In today’s NBA, that combination is like finding a unicorn.
4. It changes the Warriors’ financial flexibility. Because of this deal’s structure, the team has fewer tools to sign other players this summer. That’s a trade-off they were clearly willing to make.

Summary

FAQ

Q1: What is POTS, and how does it affect athletes?

POTS stands for Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome. It’s a condition where your heart rate increases a lot when you stand up, and it can cause dizziness and extreme tiredness. For an athlete who needs to run, jump, and stay energized for a full game, this condition can be really challenging. It was the main reason Poržiņš missed so many games before joining Golden State.

Q2: What is a "player option" in an NBA contract?

A player option gives the player the power to decide whether they want to play the final year of their contract or walk away. In Poržiņš’ case, after Year 1 of his 2-year deal, he can choose whether he wants to stay with the Warriors for Year 2 or become a free agent again. It’s like having a golden "opt-out" button.

Q3: Why would the Warriors give up their "mid-level exception" just to sign Poržiņš?

The NBA has strict rules about team spending. The mid-level exception is a tool that teams use to sign players even when they’re already spending a lot of money. Because of how expensive Poržiš’ contract is, it likely uses up so much of the Warriors’ budget that they can’t use that special tool to sign other players. The front office decided that having Poržiš was worth that sacrifice.

Q4: Was Poržiš ever an All-Star before joining the Warriors?

While beyond the scope of this specific article, it’s worth noting that Poržiš has previously been an NBA All-Star during his earlier career. That history of elite performance is part of the reason the Warriors felt confident in investing big money in him, even after his recent injury concerns.

Q5: Will Poržiņš be a starter for the Warriors?

The article doesn’t explicitly say whether he’ll start or come off the bench. However, given his talent, experience, and the significant investment, it’s very likely the coaching staff plans to give him a major role in the rotation — possibly as a starter, but at the very least as a key contributor in important minutes. We’ll have to wait for the season to see the final plan!