NBA
KP
#7

Kristaps Porzingis

Center · Golden State Warriors · 7'2", 240 lb · Born Aug 2, 1995 · Liepāja, Latvia · Drafted 4th overall, 2015
2024 ChampionGolden State WarriorsThe Unicorn🇱🇻 Latvia
NBAGolden State WarriorsCenters
Compare:vs Horfordvs Podziemskivs Meltonvs Greenvs Santosvs Butler
In short

Kristaps Porziņģis is a 7-foot-2 stretch-five and shot-blocker for the Golden State Warriors — 'The Unicorn,' a 2024 NBA champion, and a 2018 All-Star. The 4th pick in 2015 out of Latvia, he stretches the floor from center and protects the rim. He won the title with Boston, then was acquired by Golden State in a February 2026 trade.

Matchup model · next gameLow confidenceSat, Nov 14
vsHouston RocketsDrop coverage
Proj. points
15.9
range 13.2–18.6
Line 16
49%
to go over
Team win
59%
113–111
Poi 15.9 Lean underReb 5.3 Lean underAss 2.3 Lean underPRA 23.5 Lean over
Likely on himAlperen Sengun· 85 Rim protectionStrong defender
15+ pts62%20+ pts9%

Model lines Porzingis at 15.9 pts (range 13.2–18.6) vs a 16 line — roughly a coin flip to clear it (49%).

Biggest edge: venue — home floor — small boost.

Full matchup breakdown · all markets →
Balladex Matchup Model — modeled from real roster ratings, scoring baselines & defender-matchup history. Schedule, availability & head-to-head samples are illustrative in this prototype; production wires live schedule, injury & player-tracking feeds. Not betting advice.
✦ Ask anything about Porzingis
The Porzingis Story — narrated
Tap play to hear his story, told as a 90-second short.
🔊 Prototype uses your browser's built-in voice. Production would use a studio-grade AI narrator.

The original 'unicorn' — a 7-foot-2 big who shoots and blocks shots, now spacing the floor for the Warriors.

Born in Latvia and a teenage pro in Spain, Porziņģis was drafted 4th by the Knicks in 2015 and dubbed 'The Unicorn' by Kevin Durant.

🇱🇻 4th, 2015The Unicorn

He made the 2018 All-Star team, overcame a torn ACL, and won the 2024 title with Boston.

⭐ 2018 All-Star🏆 2024 champ

Traded to Atlanta and then to Golden State in February 2026 (for Hield and Kuminga), he modernizes the Warriors' frontcourt.

Traded to GSW, 2026Stretch-five

A floor-spacing, rim-protecting center, he's a matchup nightmare around Curry's gravity.

16.1 ppg · shot-blocker🇱🇻 Latvia
— end of story —
Want the full numbers? Open the breakdown →
PPG
16.1
2025-26
RPG
5.3
per game
APG
2.3
per game
FG%
.433
.311 from three
LIFE

Roots & the rise

A 7-foot-2 unicorn who shoots and blocks shots — the floor-spacing, rim-protecting big now with Golden State.

Kristaps Porziņģis was born in Liepāja, Latvia and turned pro as a teenager in Spain before the Knicks drafted him 4th in 2015. Kevin Durant dubbed him 'The Unicorn' for a skill set unheard of at his size — a 7-foot-2 big who shoots threes, handles, and blocks shots. He made the 2018 All-Star team before a torn ACL.

After stops with the Knicks, Dallas, and Washington, he won the 2024 NBA championship with Boston as a floor-spacing, rim-protecting center. He was traded to Atlanta and then to Golden State in February 2026 (for Buddy Hield and Jonathan Kuminga), giving the Warriors a stretch-five and shot-blocker to modernize their frontcourt.

Sources: Wikipedia, NBA.com, Basketball-Reference, ESPN.

BEYOND THE GAME

Beyond the game

Porziņģis carries the pride of Latvian basketball — the son of a semi-pro father and a national-team mother, mentored by his older brother Jānis, and shaped by tragedy (a brother, Toms, died in infancy). A polyglot who speaks Latvian, Spanish, and English and an avid gamer, he's one of the most recognizable European stars of his generation.

His identity is the original 'unicorn' — a true center who shoots from deep and protects the rim, a combination that reshaped ideas about the position. Health has been the recurring theme of his career, including a 2025 POTS diagnosis, but when available he's a matchup nightmare who spaces the floor and anchors the paint, exactly what Golden State's system can exploit around Curry.

PERSONALITY

The person

A skilled 7-foot-2 stretch-five and shot-blocker — the original 'unicorn,' a floor-spacing rim protector.

Stretch-fiveA true center who shoots threes and warps defenses at 7-foot-2.
Rim protectorAn elite shot-blocker with length and timing.
ChampionWon the 2024 title with Boston as a floor-spacing anchor.
PLAYER DNA

Archetype & ratings

Archetype
Stretch Big · Rim Protector
Temperament
Steady
Leadership
58/100
Scoring67
Playmaking43
Rebounding79
Perimeter D50
Rim protection80
Spacing55
Athleticism70
Clutch66
a floor-spacing, shot-blocking unicorn acquired midseason
ANALYSIS

What the numbers say

Spacing and rim protection

Porziņģis is a rare two-way big — a 7-foot-2 center who shoots threes (stretching defenses out of the paint) and blocks shots (anchoring the rim). Next to Curry's gravity, his floor-spacing opens driving lanes, and his rim protection addresses a long-standing Warriors need. When healthy, he's a genuine difference-maker.

STATS

Season by season

Per game

SeasonGPMINPTSREBASTFG%3P%
2025-261523.716.15.32.3.433.311

Source: Basketball-Reference.

ADVANCED

Advanced & historical

Where he sits in history

2024NBA champion with Boston as a floor-spacing, rim-protecting center
Nickname'The Unicorn,' coined by Kevin Durant for his unprecedented skill set at 7-foot-2
2026Traded to Golden State for Buddy Hield and Jonathan Kuminga

Hardware

1×
NBA Champion (2024)
1×
NBA All-Star (2018)
OUTLOOK

Where it's headed

AI-generated · updated July 13, 2026

A floor-spacing, rim-protecting unicorn — the frontcourt modernizer Golden State needed.

Acquired in February 2026, Porziņģis gives the Warriors a stretch-five and shot-blocker that fits perfectly around Curry. Health is the perennial variable, but when available he's a two-way matchup nightmare who addresses Golden State's biggest frontcourt needs.

Floor spacing (big)Elite
Rim protectionElite
Interior scoringStrong
Health / durabilityConcern

Contract

Team
Golden State acquired 2026
Ring
2024 champion
Age
30 prime
Bottom line

The original unicorn — a 7-foot-2 shooter and shot-blocker who modernizes the Warriors' frontcourt. When healthy, exactly the two-way big Golden State needed around Curry.

FAQ

Quick answers

Why is Kristaps Porziņģis called 'The Unicorn'?

Kevin Durant coined it for his unprecedented skill set at 7-foot-2 — a center who shoots threes, handles, and blocks shots.

How did Kristaps Porziņģis join the Warriors?

Golden State acquired him in a February 2026 trade (for Buddy Hield and Jonathan Kuminga); he had won the 2024 title with Boston.

Where is Kristaps Porziņģis from?

Liepāja, Latvia; he turned pro in Spain as a teenager before being drafted 4th overall in 2015.