Kristaps Porziņģis stepped away from the Golden State Warriors on the eve of training camp, and his future with the team has been in question ever since. On Wednesday, a report said the team has stopped paying him.

The Warriors have ruled that Porziņģis is not rendering his services and are withholding the semimonthly payments on his $20 million salary, ESPN’s Anthony Slater and Shams Charania reported, citing league sources. They added that Porziņģis, 31, is leaning toward ending his NBA career. One fan was quick to point back to the contract Golden State gave him this summer.

Kristaps Porziņģis’ Long Absence Leads to Reported Halt in Payments

Porziņģis has not been back at the Warriors’ facility since early October, when he met with general manager Mike Dunleavy and Rick Celebrini, the team’s lead medical decision-maker, according to ESPN. He had phoned Dunleavy before leaving on the eve of camp, and the team let him keep his distance at first.

The team has changed his status from out with “general illness,” the label it used during his absences last season, to “not with team.” ESPN reported that the change was purposeful and that the absence is no longer being described as excused. League sources told ESPN that Porziņģis is not disputing the missed payments.

The ruling comes a few months after Porziņģis signed a two-year, $40 million extension that guarantees only $3 million in the second season. That deal followed two seasons in which he battled a lengthy health issue.

The contract was the focus of one fan’s reaction: “Amazing. What a mess. They paid a guy who has been cleared but doesn’t want to play.” ESPN’s reporting describes a player still recovering. Team sources told ESPN that the Warriors had wanted him working through that recovery at the facility, close to the medical staff and his teammates.

Raj Chipalu of Lakers Today reacted to the report by calling it “One of the strangest NBA stories I can remember.”

Bobby Manning of CLNS Media struck a similar note, then looked further back: “The Porzingis story is one of the most bizarre I’ve ever seen. When he came out of the locker room with the Band-Aid on his head vs. ORL in that 1st round series he reached his peak of popularity in Boston. Two weeks later, he exited at halftime vs. NYK & was never the same again.”

Another fan wrote, “Never seen NBA return an invoice before … what is happening.” But ESPN pointed to a precedent from last season, though the circumstances differed. The Miami Heat stopped paying Terry Rozier during a federal gambling investigation and still explored trading him before the deadline.

ESPN’s Bobby Marks broke down the numbers: “Failure to render services is costing Kristaps Porzingis $218,341 (1/91.6 per game). His $20M salary continues to count against the cap/tax/apron.”

Team sources told ESPN the Warriors have no current plans to void the contract, which keeps their trade options open through the February 11 deadline.

Tim Kawakami of the SF Standard looked at it from the Warriors’ side: “This is why we talk about maintaining salary slots. Even subtracting Porzingis’ $20M salary this season, the Warriors will not be close to under the cap. But they CAN trade his $20M contract (and perhaps others) for matching salaries before the Feb. 11 deadline.”

Dunleavy’s front office is still pursuing a trade built around that contract, according to ESPN, while Porziņģis weighs whether to keep playing.