Kristaps Porzingis Remains Sidelined Monday; Hawks List Center as Day-to-Day
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The Atlanta Hawks announced on December 28 that center Kristaps Porzingis will not play in Monday’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, but the club now considers him day-to-day as he works back from an unspecified illness.
This is the first official update from the team since Porzingis was ruled out for at least two weeks on December 14. ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk and Shams Charania initially reported the change in status earlier Monday.
The absence in Oklahoma City will be the Latvian big man’s 10th consecutive game on the sidelines and his 14th in the past 15 contests. After his lone appearance earlier this month, Porzingis said the ailment was not related to the postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) that cost him significant time during the 2024-25 season.
When available, the 30-year-old has produced 19.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.6 blocks per game while shooting 49.7 percent from the field, 36.4 percent from three-point range and 85.5 percent at the free-throw line. Atlanta is plus-3.4 points per 100 possessions with Porzingis on the floor and minus-2.3 when he sits, but he has appeared in only 13 of the team’s 33 games.
Porzingis, acquired from Boston in the offseason, can become an unrestricted free agent next summer if he and the Hawks do not agree to an extension. His limited availability and contract situation have fueled trade speculation, and HoopsRumors’ Luke Adams recently identified him as Atlanta’s top trade candidate.
The Hawks have dropped six straight and 10 of their last 12, slipping in the Eastern Conference standings. Following Friday’s defeat to Miami, the roster held a players-only meeting. “We had a real sit-down with the whole group and said we need to be better,” guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker said Saturday. Atlanta mounted a late comeback the same night against New York but fell short by three points. Forward Jalen Johnson told reporters the discussion showed “a lot of guys spoke, so I think that was a good sign.”
Source: HoopsRumors
