Warriors' $60M Star Named Among NBA's Most Overrated Players

Bleacher Report writer believes Kristaps Porzingis is overhyped due to injury history.

Feb. 19, 2026 at 2:15am

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The Golden State Warriors recently acquired 7-foot-2 center Kristaps Porzingis in a trade, but a Bleacher Report writer has named him as one of the most overrated players in the NBA. The writer cites Porzingis' extensive injury history, which has limited him to just 45 games per season on average over the past eight years, as the reason he is overrated despite being a productive player when healthy.

Why it matters

The Warriors were hoping Porzingis could be a high-caliber contributor to their roster after the injury to Jimmy Butler, but if he continues to struggle with injuries, it could be a disappointing acquisition for the team as they try to build around Stephen Curry.

The details

Bleacher Report's Greg Swartz wrote that Porzingis "has the highest swing rating of any player on this list and is still a productive player when he's on the floor." However, Swartz noted that Porzingis "continues to be plagued by injuries and is currently sidelined with left Achilles tendinitis. He's played just 17 total games for the Atlanta Hawks all season and just five since November." Porzingis has averaged just 45.4 healthy games over the last eight seasons.

  • Porzingis was traded to the Warriors before the February 5th trade deadline in 2026.
  • Porzingis has been sidelined with left Achilles tendinitis since November 2025.

The players

Kristaps Porzingis

A 7-foot-2 center who was recently acquired by the Golden State Warriors in a trade. Porzingis has been plagued by injuries throughout his NBA career, limiting him to an average of just 45 games per season over the past eight years.

Stephen Curry

The star point guard for the Golden State Warriors, who was hoping to have a high-caliber contributor like Porzingis to play alongside him after the injury to Jimmy Butler.

Greg Swartz

A writer for Bleacher Report who named Kristaps Porzingis as one of the most overrated players in the NBA due to his extensive injury history.

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What they’re saying

“Kristaps Porzingis has the highest swing rating of any player on this list and is still a productive player when he's on the floor.”

— Greg Swartz, Writer

“Porzingis continues to be plagued by injuries and is currently sidelined with left Achilles tendinitis. He's played just 17 total games for the Atlanta Hawks all season and just five since November. Porzingis was averaging just 45.4 healthy games over the last eight years coming into this season. Injuries have unfortunately robbed him of a potential Hall of Fame career.”

— Greg Swartz, Writer

What’s next

The Warriors will hope that Porzingis can recover from his latest injury and stay healthy for the remainder of the season as they try to build around Stephen Curry and make a deep playoff run.

The takeaway

This trade for Porzingis is a high-risk, high-reward move for the Warriors, as his extensive injury history makes him a potentially unreliable contributor despite his talent. The Warriors are betting that they can keep Porzingis healthy and productive, but if the injury issues persist, it could be a disappointing acquisition for the team.