Kristaps Porzingis’ exit from the Boston Celtics was made official on Monday, July 7. The veteran big man was sent to the Atlanta Hawks as part of a three-team trade that also included the Brooklyn Nets. Atlanta announced the deal via a press release, confirming the talented big man will now team up with Trae Young on Quin Snyder’s roster.
Georges Niang joins the Celtics as part of the deal. Boston is unable to aggregate Niang in a trade package with other players for the next 60 days. However, Stevens can choose to trade the veteran floor spacer in a one-for-one deal should he choose to do so.
Losing Porzingis is part of a wider talent drain in Boston. Stevens has also traded away Jrue Holiday, while Luke Kornet left for the San Antonio Spurs in free agency. Al Horford could still walk away from the franchise, too, as he continues to mull over his next move. Horford is reportedly drawing interest from the Golden State Warriors.
Porzingis will now look to prove that his injury and illness issues are behind him, as he enters the final year of his current contract and projects to become a free agent next summer, unless he signs an extension in Atlanta before the end of the 2025-26 season. Porzingis has played 19 games against the Hawks in his career, averaging 20.9 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game.
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