The Boston Celtics are reportedly finalizing a trade that will see them land big man Kristaps Porzingis from the Washington Wizards. It is a three-way trade that also includes the Memphis Grizzlies.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Celtics will get Porzingis, 2023 first-round pick (No. 25), and 2024 first-round pick (via Golden State; top-four protected), while sending guard Marcus Smart to the Grizzlies. The Wizards will receive Tyus Jones, Danilo Gallinari, Mike Muscala and the No. 35 selection in the 2023 NBA Draft.
The teams are still working on the finer details of the deal, as Porzingis needs to opt into his player option for 2023-24 for the trade to come through. The 27-year-old player’s option is worth $36 million.
The Wizards and the Celtics previously had a similar trade in the works, which included sending Malcolm Brogdon to the Los Angeles Clippers. However, the LA team decided to pull the breaks on the deal due to concerns about Brogdon’s health.
This move makes a lot of sense for Boston, considering that their starting power forward Al Horford is not getting any younger. Porzingis is a better offensive player than Horford and has shown that he can play outstanding defense when he wants to. Porzingis also gives the Celtics more positional versatility, as he can successfully play the center position.
Porzingis struggled to stay healthy in some previous seasons but managed to play 65 games this past season, which is the most since his sophomore year in the league. He finished the campaign averaging career-high 23.2 points alongside 8.4 rebounds and 1.2 blocks.
The Wizards, on the other hand, continue tearing down their team. They have previously traded franchise star Bradley Beal and moving on from Porzingis signals that the team is in a full rebuild. Washington will now get a promising player in Jones and more draft capital.
Finally, the Grizzlies solidify their point guard position with Smart. The former NBA Defensive Player of the Year complements nicely with their star Ja Morant, being able to step in for Moran when he rests or play on the wing.
