Kristaps Porzingis is now a member of the Golden State Warriors after the Dubs acquired him in a pre-deadline trade with the Atlanta Hawks.
The Warriors sent wantaway forward Jonathan Kuminga and veteran sharpshooter Buddy Hield to the Hawks to get Porzingis. The Latvian big man is largely expected to give the Dubs a floor-spacing big man who can also anchor their defense alongside Draymond Green.
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However, prior to his trade to the Warriors, Porzingis missed 13 straight games with the Hawks due to left Achilles tendinitis. He was upgraded to available for Atlanta’s showdown against the Miami Heat on Feb. 3 before being ruled out due to an illness.
Former Atlanta Hawks forward/center Kristaps Porzingis (8) reacts during a game.© Brett Davis-Imagn Images
(© Brett Davis-Imagn Images)
When he joined the Warriors, the team kept him sidelined for four straight games heading into the All-Star break.
Now, as the Warriors prepare to return to action against the Boston Celtics on Thursday, the team shared an update on Porzingis’ status. He was listed as “questionable” for the game after practicing with the team on Wednesday.
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For what it’s worth, when Porzingis talked to reporters, he appeared ready to play despite his listed status. He stated he is “back at it” against the Celtics before adding that he’s “feeling good” and “ready to go.”
Porzingis’ potential availability would be a major boost to a Warriors team that will not have Steph Curry for the Boston game. The two-time NBA MVP has been ruled out once again as he continues to deal with runner’s knee — an injury that causes pain around the knee area.
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“Just wasn’t where he needed to be,” Kerr said of Curry’s status, per Anthony Slater of ESPN. “It’s unfortunate. We’ll have an update tomorrow after he goes through his time with the training staff.”
Porzingis averaged 17.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.3 blocks in the 11 games he played for the Hawks this campaign. He should have a bigger role for the Warriors’ offense if he plays on Thursday, especially with Jimmy Butler also out for the team.
It is interesting to note that Porzingis’ potential debut could come against the Celtics, with whom he played from 2023 to 2025 and helped win a championship in 2024.
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“Weird,” Porzingis said about facing the Celtics. “Who would believe this? But this is how it works. Obviously, we expected Boston to have some changes with the money stuff, but it’s going to be weird.”
Related: Jonathan Kuminga’s Injury Timeline Gets Update From Hawks
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Feb 19, 2026, where it first appeared in the NBA section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.