After his debut game with the Golden State Warriors last Thursday, Kristaps Porzingis is dealing with a new health problem that's seen him miss the last two games.
Porzingis will also miss Wednesday's second night of a back-to-back against the Memphis Grizzlies due to illness, but there is one silver lining for the Warriors in that the veteran center's next contract is only going down in value with every missed game.
Projected Kristaps Porzingis contract is only going down
It's hard to get a strong sense of what Porzingis' next contract could look like. The Latvian is making $30.7 million on an expiring contract, but his myriad of injury and health issues means he won't get anywhere near that vicinity again.
Does Porzingis get even half that annually on his next deal? Is he looking for a multi-year deal, or will be it a one-year prove it contract given his recent lack of availability? These are questions that won't be answered until closer to free agency, and when there's a clearer picture of what's happening with Golden State's other free agents.
One thing is for sure -- Porzingis' value is only going down the more he remains on the sidelines, having only appeared in 18 total games this season. That's really the only silver lining of this latest health problem, with the former All-Star no guarantee of returning when the Warriors host the Los Angeles Lakers at Chase Center on Saturday.
The other aspect we know, according to recent reports, is that Golden State made the Porzingis trade with more than just this season in mind. NBA insider Marc Stein reported on Monday that the Warriors hope to convince Porzingis to re-sign at a more team-friendly number in free agency.
"It was not a move made solely with this season in mind since Golden State's ceiling has been undoubtedly and irretrievably lowered by the loss of Jimmy Butler to a season-ending knee tear," Stein wrote.
The idea of Porzingis is certainly a worthy one, and one that was proven last Thursday when the 30-year-old delivered some promising signs in a debut that saw him score 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting in only 17 minutes.
The issue is Porzingis has often been more idea than reality, especially in recent times, due to his health concerns. As much as the Warriors may have the intention of bringing him back in free agency, it remains fascinating to see how far they'll be willing to go financially.