Kristaps Porzings Traded

   The Boston Celtics came within one win from completing what would have been the greatest playoff comeback in NBA history. Instead, Jayson Tatum was injured on the first offensive possession of Game Seven of the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals, and that dictated the tone the rest of the way. 

   After losing to the Miami Heat in the East finals, many thought the Celtics would need to seriously re-evaluate their roster in the off-season. Something that the front office evidently took to heart when they completed a blockbuster trade late Wednesday evening.

Porzingis Trade In the Works

   In 65 regular-season games last season, Kristaps Porzingis averaged 23.2 points (career-high), 8.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.5 blocks, on 49.8% field goal shooting. However, the Washington Wizards barely made a noise in the Eastern Conference- finishing with a disappointing 35-47 record.

   With no roadmap to relevance, the Wizards decided to kickstart their rebuild process by sending Bradley Beal to Phoenix for spare parts. This was followed in short order by Kyle Kuzma declining his player option for next season. Now, barring any setbacks in the medical evaluations, Porzingis will be playing for his fourth NBA team once the 2023-2024 campaign kicks off.

   Shams Charania initially reported a three-team trade involving the Wizards, the Celtics, and the Los Angeles Clippers. The Celtics were set to acquire Kristaps Porzingis. However, it was to come at the cost of reigning Sixth Man of the Year Malcolm Brogdon. 

   Meanwhile, the Wizards would have received Marcus Morris, Amir Coffey and draft compensations from the Clippers, as well as Danilo Gallinari from Boston. 

   However, reports began circulating shortly afterwards that Los Angeles wasn’t happy with something they saw in Brogdon’s medical report, and the deal fell apart in relatively short order.

   But with two of the three clubs still intent on making a swap, Boston and LA pivoted and involved Memphis to resuscitate the framework of the trade. When all was said and done Memphis will now receive Marcus Smart, Boston will acquire Porzingis, the 25th pick in the 2023 draft, and the Grizzlies’ 1st rounder in 2024, and Washington will receive Tyus Jones and a 2023 2nd rounder.

The Impacts

   The Celtics’ addition of Kristaps Porzingis has its ups and downs. If healthy, the Celtics will now have three star players averaging 20+ points for next season and beyond. 

   Adding Porzingis gives the Celtics a more offensive-minded big man they lacked in the Miami series. Robert Williams III struggled with durability issues, while Al Horford is 37. 

   However, it’s worth noting that Porzingis has a $36M player option which he can pick up after the trade is finalized. This means the Celtics likely can’t re-sign Grant Williams, who will now join the 2023 free agent class as a restricted free agent. 

   Memphis acquires a defensive pitbull in Marcus Smart, and is someone who will nudge the franchise back to their “grit n’ grind’ ‘ identity that seemed to fall by the wayside in 2022-23 with the club’s choreographed dances and entrances.

   For the Wizards, this trade is another step for a franchise who has already pushed the reset button after trading Bradley Beal. If the Porzingis trade pushes through, the Wizards will enter training camp with a virtual clean slate, devoid of major financial commitments. But they’ll also be the betting favourites to finish with the league’s worst record next season as well.

Is Boston Now The Championship Favourite?

   If the Jayson Tatum-Jaylen Brown-Kristaps Porzingis trio can co-exist offensively, they certainly present an upgrade over previous iterations of the Celtics offense. Defensively, Porzingis’ 1.5 blocks per game average is better than any of the averages the current Boston bigs had. But make no mistake about it, losing Smart hurts.

   For all his warts offensively, he was very much the straw that stirred the drink defensively for the Celtics. He was a vocal leader on and off the court, a space that one of either Tatum or Brown will need to fill relatively quickly if Boston is to get off to a fast start this fall.

   Can Porzingis provide the answer to Boston’s quest for banner number 18? It likely boils down to one thing: his health. If the soon to be 28 year old can avoid the injury bug this season, then the Celtics have as good a chance as anyone to emerge from the wide open Eastern Conference this season.

-Iggy Gonzales

Photo: All-Pro Reels. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.

The post Boston Completes 3 Team Deal To Land Porzingis appeared first on Dynes Pressbox.