Warriors Face Lineup Changes as Porzingis Remains Sidelined

The Golden State Warriors are preparing for the possibility of opening the regular season without Kristaps Porzingis, whose unexplained health issue has kept him away from the team for nearly two weeks. As of October 11, 2026, coach Steve Kerr had no confirmed return date, leaving Golden State to evaluate alternative center rotations while managing other significant injuries.

According to reports published by NBC Sports Bay Area and Hoops Rumors on October 9, the Warriors had not clarified the nature of Porzingis' condition. The team's medical and performance director, Rick Celebrini, spoke with the center on Thursday, but the conversation produced no public update about his availability.

ESPN reporter Anthony Slater subsequently reported that Porzingis' absence remained indefinite as Golden State entered its second week of preseason preparations. The uncertainty comes as the Warriors also expect Jimmy Butler III and Moses Moody to miss significant portions of the season while recovering from knee surgeries.

Kerr acknowledged that the coaching staff had not settled on its center rotation with the regular-season opener approaching on October 21.

"We haven’t figured it out," said Steve Kerr, head coach of the Golden State Warriors.

The Warriors have several alternatives, including veteran Al Horford, Draymond Green, Charles Bassey, rookie Graham Ike and rookie Yaxel Lendeborg. Horford cannot play both ends of back-to-back games, while Green's responsibilities at center have remained an option despite the team's preference to limit those assignments.

Kerr praised the younger big men after their preseason performances and indicated that both would have opportunities during the season.

"Both Graham and Charles were really impressive the other night, getting good reps in camp, and we're going to need both of them during the year," Kerr said.

Green could again fill the center position, potentially alongside Lendeborg at power forward. The rookie stands 6-foot-10 and weighs 241 pounds, giving the Warriors additional size if they choose a smaller lineup built around Green.

Kerr explained how Lendeborg's physical profile could influence that decision.

"With the fact that we have Yaxel now, you’d get a 6-10 guy next to (Green)," Kerr said.

He outlined another possible configuration involving forward Gui Santos, who stands 6-foot-8.

"If we go that route, it makes it a little more palatable. And if we pair them with Gui (6-foot-8), now all of a sudden, you got three good-sized guys at their positions, and it doesn't feel as small as in the past couple years," Kerr said.

The coach nevertheless acknowledged the limitations of adapting his preferred offensive system to different personnel.

"But it’s not ideal," Kerr said.

Golden State wants to maintain a five-out offense, which places five potential perimeter threats around the court to create driving lanes and shooting opportunities. Porzingis is particularly valuable to that approach because of his ability to shoot three-pointers as a center.

Without him, the available alternatives present different limitations. Horford remains a capable perimeter shooter, but his workload will be restricted at age 40. Green can threaten defenses from the corners, while Bassey has made 3 of 13 three-point attempts across 126 NBA games.

Ike shot 34.8% from three-point range in college while averaging fewer than one attempt per game. Lendeborg, by comparison, converted 36.4% on 286 attempts across his final three college seasons, improving from 33.3% to 35.7% and then 37.2%.

Kerr said losing Porzingis would make maintaining the intended offensive approach more difficult.

"definitely" was Kerr's description of how Porzingis' absence would complicate the five-out system, according to NBC Sports Bay Area.

The coach has also expressed concern about the lack of information surrounding the center's condition while emphasizing the organization's commitment to supporting him.

"Yeah, I mean, you know, we want him back. He's a really talented player, and so we thought he was in a pretty good place. So it's definitely concerning. And so, as I said, all we're going to do is support him, give him every bit of medical help he can get, and emotional support, and hope he is back soon," Kerr said.

Hoops Rumors reported that Porzingis had dealt with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, or POTS, during the previous two seasons. However, the Warriors have not confirmed whether his current absence is connected to that diagnosis.

Kerr said the center remained unavailable when asked about the situation following practice.

"He’s not here today," Kerr said.

He had indicated that he would contact Porzingis directly, but the team had no additional information to share publicly.

"Rick spoke with him (Thursday)," Kerr said, referring to Celebrini's conversation with the center.

Reports also indicated that Golden State was preparing for the possibility that Porzingis would miss the regular-season opener. The nature of the condition remained undisclosed, and the Warriors had not provided a return timetable.

"health issue" was the description used in the team's public discussion of Porzingis' absence, without further medical details.

Green addressed the uncertainty on his podcast, suggesting that repeated questions about a return date would not produce a different answer while Porzingis continued recovering.

"He will probably come back and then it will be like, 'Oh, y'all know he came back' like we know he can. I think that happens at the same time. I don't think it's necessarily a timeline of return. So I think people will continue to ask this question for weeks on end and the answer is going to be the same and so I don't think it's the reason to keep asking the question, but needless to say, definitely sending well wishes to Porzingis and praying for him as he tries to recover from whatever it is that he's dealing with," Green said.

Green's comments followed the coaching staff's public emphasis on providing Porzingis with medical and emotional support rather than speculating about his condition.

Elsewhere on the roster, guard Brandon Williams strengthened his case for a place on the team with 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting in 18 minutes against Portland, along with four assists and three rebounds. The fifth-year guard is competing for a roster spot on a non-guaranteed contract.

Lendeborg has also drawn strong early reviews from Kerr and established players. The rookie's anticipated role comes with expectations that the organization wants to keep realistic.

"He’s going to play a ton," Kerr said of Lendeborg.

The coach also praised the forward's performance and readiness to contribute.

"Frankly, he deserves it. He’s one of our best players already," Kerr said.

Stephen Curry urged patience as attention around the rookie grows, emphasizing that his contribution should be judged by how he helps the team rather than by statistical targets.

"The nature of our league, social media and all the microscope is that they’ll expect him to be a 20-8-6 guy right out the gate or whatever number you put on him," Curry said.

For Golden State, the immediate challenge remains assembling a workable rotation while awaiting clarity on Porzingis. The Warriors entered their final preseason preparations without confirmation that their projected starting center would be available for the October 21 regular-season opener.