NBA Market: Boston Celtics Get Rid of Kristaps Porzingis

NBA Trade Market: Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, and Brooklyn Nets agreed to a three-team trade on Tuesday that involved several significant moves for each franchise's immediate and financial future.

Boston sent center Kristaps Porzingis and a second-round pick to Atlanta; the Hawks, in return, traded Terance Mann and their 22nd draft pick to Brooklyn; and finally, Georges Niang and a second-round pick landed with the Celtics, as reported by ESPN's Shams Charania. This marks the second major trade for Boston in less than 24 hours, as they had sent Jrue Holiday to Portland the previous night in exchange for Anfernee Simons and two second-round picks.

With these two transactions, the Celtics managed to reduce their luxury tax bill by $180 million, according to ESPN's Bobby Marks. The team had projected a combined roster and tax expenditure of over $500 million for the upcoming season, so these moves directly reflect a savings strategy. Additionally, Boston will receive Cleveland's second-round pick in 2031 (whose rights Atlanta held), while the Hawks will retain the less favorable second-round pick from Boston in 2026.

These maneuvers place the Celtics below the second luxury tax threshold, even hinting at the possibility of completely avoiding it this season. The financial landscape has become even more crucial following Jayson Tatum's Achilles tendon injury in the series against the Knicks. This is further compounded by the impending arrival of a new ownership group that could be formalized in the coming weeks, explaining the management-driven cuts.

As for Porzingis, the Latvian arrives in Atlanta after two strong seasons in Boston, where he reached his best three-point percentage (41.2%) and averaged over 19 points per game. If fully recovered from the physical issues that plagued him at the end of the season and playoffs, he will form an intriguing frontcourt nucleus with Jalen Johnson, Onyeka Okongwu, and the 2024 first overall draft pick, Zaccharie Risacher.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Mercado NBA: Boston Celtics se quita de encima a Kristaps Porzingis