The Boston Celtics have traded Kristaps Porzingis to the Atlanta Hawks in a three-team deal that includes the Brooklyn Nets. The Celtics have made two trades in as many days, which displays their plans to reshape the squad to stay competitive for next season without prodigal son Jayson Tatum. Porzingis was an integral part of Boston’s championship run, but has suffered injuries and sickness that kept him sidelined. The Celtics needed to make some room in their budget to acquire more players to support Jaylen Brown as he carries the expectations of Boston this season.
The Boston Celtics are in need of a restructuring for next season
Following their 2024 Championship win, the NBA expected more of the same from the Boston Celtics this year. That was not to be the case, and the season went as badly as one could have imagined for a team off the back of a title run. The injury to Jayson Tatum in the playoff loss to the New York Knicks was the cherry on top of a very distasteful season for the Celtics.
With Tatum out for possibly the entire season, the Celtics knew that they needed to make some changes to their squad this offseason, and the top candidate to leave the Celtics was Kristaps Porzingis. Porzingis, who is still relatively young at 29, was limited to 99 games over two seasons in Boston and averaged an impressive 19.8 points and 7.0 rebounds, and was crucial to the Celtics’ 2024 title.
Kristaps Porzingis is on his way to “The Big Peach” for next season
Both the Holiday and Porzingis deals were more about freeing up some cap room for the Celtics. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that the move helps the Celtics get out of the NBA’s second apron as Holiday and Porzingis combined for over $64 million in cap hits this coming season. The Tuesday before the trade, Porzingis posted to his Instagram that he is feeling “excellent”. He followed that up with a statement that said:
“Thanks for all the support and questions about my health. “I’ve been feeling excellent all offseason and looking forward to a healthy and strong European championship tournament with my [national team].”
What are the details behind the three-team deal that sees Porzingis move to the Hawks?
The trade is a three-team deal that involves the Celtics, Hawks, and Nets. While the Celtics are furiously attempting to make room for future trades by offloading some expensive players, the Hawks need a new center following Clint Capela entering free agency. The Nets have a lot of picks entering the Draft this year, with five first-round picks (8, 19, 22, 26, and 27).
As the NBA is dominated by the trades taking place at the moment, the deal between the Celtics, Hawks, and Nets is broken down like this:
- Atlanta Hawks receive: Kristaps Porzingis, a second-round pick.
- Brooklyn Nets receive: Terrance Mann and the No. 22 pick in this year’s draft.
- Boston Celtics receive: Georges Niang and a second-round pick.
Can the Boston Celtics remain competitive without Jayson Tatum?
While their rivals make NBA history, the Celtics find themselves in a very precarious position at the moment. Without Tatum, they are expecting Jaylen Brown to carry the team. To his credit, he is a Finals MVP and can be a star wherever he plays. The deal was more about offloading some expensive contracts for the Celtics and not acquiring new talent. More Celtics players are reportedly on the chopping block as Al Horford and Derrick WHite’s futures remain unclear with the Celtics. Kristaps Porzingis is a great player, and perhaps he can play at his best for the Hawks. All we can do is wait to see how he performs.
