Getty
Kristaps Porzingis #8 of the Atlanta Hawks is defended by Tim Hardaway Jr. #10 of the Denver Nuggets during the first quarter at State Farm Arena on December 05, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia.
All signs point to the Golden State Warriors getting new starting center Kristaps Porzingis back after the NBA All-Star break. After Wednesday’s 126-113 loss to the San Antonio Spurs, the final game before the midseason break, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr provided a positive injury update on the 2024 NBA champion.
“Kristaps played today [in practice] and was moving better than yesterday,” Kerr said, via ESPN’s Anthony Slater.
“He seemed to be in a good rhythm [paying 5-on-5 in the halfcourt]. He looks good, so we’ll just see how it plays out,” added the 9-time NBA champion.
Kristaps Porzingis Injury Update
The Latvian big man has played only three games since the start of 2026. First, he missed 13 straight games between Jan. 9 and Jan. 31 with Achilles tendinitis. Then, he sat out his final game as a member of the Atlanta Hawks, against the Miami Heat, after being diagnosed with an undisclosed illness. Since being traded to the Warriors, he has been listed out with the same Achilles iissue that bothered him earlier in the season.
Despite his extended absence, beat writers covering the Warriors have noted that the franchise is being “cautious” with Porzingis and feel it makes more sense to debut him after the All-Star break. On Wednesday’s episode of “NBA Today” on ESPN, Anthony Slater noted that Porzingis may have already played if the game had higher stakes.
“The Warriors are being cautious [with both Porzingis and Curry],” Slater said.
Kristaps Porzingis Return Date
Both Porzingis and Stephen Curry are expected to rejoin the Warriors in the Feb. 19. game against the Boston Celtics, the first game after the All-Star break.
“They’re targeting that first game coming out of the break, February 19th, against the Celtics,” Slater said. “Steve Kerr has said he’s optimistic Steph will play that night and Kristaps Porzingis could potentially debut that night. Porzingis is going to stay in the Bay and work his way towards that game.”
Meanwhile, Porzingis himself is confident that he will suit up against his former team, the Celtics, on Feb. 19. After his first full Warriors practice this past Sunday, he spoke confidently about being cleared in time for a return.
“It was a good workout. I’m building back up slowly because once I start playing, I want to hit the ground running,” he said, via EuroHoops.
Even after Porzingis is cleared, some analysts worry about his recurring absences from the team, based on his recent trends with the Hawks and Celtics. However, the former No. 4 overall pick feels he can regain full fitness once he hits the ground running.
“I am confident that I will,” Porzingis said of being a healthy member of the Warriors. “I will do everything right, and I believe I will.”
“From what I’ve seen and the conversations I’ve had so far with the medical staff and the people here, I have to say I’m very optimistic. I’m in really good hands, some of the best, and I think that adds to the confidence I already have. I look forward to a strong post-All-Star break,” he added.
In Porzingis, the Warriors will finally get their long-desired stretch-5 big man who can also provide solid rim protection. However, his injury concerns remain.
Sai Mohan covers the NBA for Heavy.com. Based in Portugal, Sai is a seasoned sports writer with nearly two decades of publishing experience, including bylines at Yardbarker, FanSided’s Hoops Habit, International Business Times, Hindustan Times and more. More about Sai Mohan
More Heavy on Warriors
Loading more stories