ESPN: Warriors refuse to pay Kristaps Porzingis' salary, player may retire as a result.

According to a joint report by ESPN reporters Shams Charania and Anthony Slater, the Golden State Warriors have not yet paid Kristaps Porzingis his $20 million salary. Their reason given is that Porzingis has failed to fulfill his contractual obligations.

Meanwhile, Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy is still actively trying to leverage Kristaps Porzingis' contract to facilitate a trade. Porzingis signed a two-year, $40 million contract extension with the Warriors this summer, with only $3 million guaranteed in the second year.

However, Porzingis is currently more inclined to end his professional career. All indications suggest that it's only a matter of time before the two part ways.

Kristaps Porzingis, 31, hails from Latvia and entered the NBA in June 2015 as the fourth overall pick in the first round. A 2.18-meter (6'3") and 109-kilogram (6.5") stretch big man, he played 518 regular season games for the New York Knicks, Dallas Mavericks, Washington Wizards, Boston Celtics, and Atlanta Hawks, averaging 19.6 points, 7.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.8 blocks in 30.5 minutes per game. He was also selected to the 2018 NBA All-Star team.

Kristaps Porzingis also played 28 playoff games, averaging 19.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.0 assists, and 1.0 blocks in 11.9 minutes per game. His most representative playoff achievement is undoubtedly winning the NBA championship with the Celtics in 2024.

Since joining the Warriors in December, Porzingis has only played 15 regular season games, averaging 16.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.1 blocks in 23.7 minutes per game. Plagued by an undisclosed health issue, he has been sidelined indefinitely by the Warriors since mid-October.

If the Warriors insist on suspending his salary, Porzingis will lose approximately $218,300 for each game he misses. Even so, his $20 million annual salary will still be fully included in the Warriors' salary cap.

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