Porzingis, who turns 31 in August, will have a player option for the second season.
The Warriors acquired Porzingis, a 7-foot-2 center, at February’s trade deadline from Atlanta for Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield. The floor-stretching, paint-protecting big man gives Golden State a new dimension when he’s healthy. Porzingis averaged 16.1 points, 5.3 rebounds in 23.7 minutes over 15 games with the Warriors.
But he has struggled with injuries and health issues in recent years, failing to play in 60 games in any of the past three seasons. He played in 57 and 42 games in his final two seasons with Boston, then in 32 last season combined with the Hawks and Warriors.
One measure of how much Porzingis’ injury-filled past impacted his value: His previous contract, signed with the Celtics in July 2023, was worth $60 million over two years.
The idea of pairing Porzingis and Stephen Curry, and the space that could create in the halfcourt offense, intrigues the Warriors. Curry and Porzingis played together in only three regular-season games last season, but they meshed well together in Golden State’s play-in bracket win over the Los Angeles Clippers on April 15 — when Curry scored 35 points and Porzingis had 20.
News of Porzingis’ deal emerged hours after Draymond Green declined his $27.7 million player option, giving Golden State flexibility to strengthen its roster around Curry. ESPN reported the Warriors are pursuing a “Big Four,” adding LeBron James through free agency and Washington’s Anthony Davis via trade to play alongside Green and Curry.
Porzingis’ return complicates the salary-cap gymnastics required to make a potential Big Four work. Green, now a free agent, is expected to rejoin the Warriors on a two-year deal, but he might need to take an even bigger paycut than originally anticipated.
And trading for Davis would come at a steep cost: Jimmy Butler’s expiring contract, plus future first-round draft picks and likely draft pick swaps. The Warriors also might need to unload Moses Moody — due to make $12.5 million next season, most of which he will miss recovering from a torn patellar tendon — to make the salary-cap math work.
For the Warriors to accommodate Davis and James on top of Curry and Green, they would need several players on cheap contracts. Golden State currently has three players scheduled to earn less than $6 million next season — Brandin Podziemski, Gui Santos and Will Richard — and soon will add first-round draft choice Yaxel Lendeborg.
Golden State guard De’Anthony Melton also declined his player option Monday and will become a free agent, a league source told the Chronicle. ESPN was first to report Porzingis’ contract, citing his agent, Jeff Schwartz of Excel Sports Management.