The offseason is in full swing just days after the Oklahoma City Thunder won the 2025 NBA championship. With teams already trying to make bold changes before the 2025-2026 season starts, blockbuster trades are inevitable. The Boston Celtics, right after sending Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trailblazers, are continuing another sweep by the star player that helped them win the 2024 chip—Kristaps Porzingis. While fans think that the Celtics got fleeced for what they got in return after trading away two of their best players, what they did was actually ingenious and incredibly wise.
Porzingis to the Hawks Via a Three-Team Trade
After only two seasons, Kristaps Porzingis is being moved again to another team in the East. This time, KP is heading down south to team up with another exciting player in Atlanta, Trae Young.
Atlanta Hawks received:
- Kristaps Porziņģis
- A second-round pick from Boston
Brooklyn Nets received:
- Terance Mann
- The No. 22 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft (from Atlanta)
Boston Celtics received:
- Georges Niang
- A second-round pick from Atlanta
The Porzingis Trade May Actually be a Huge Win
The Kristaps Porzingis trade received criticism and mixed reactions from the basketball world. However, as it turns out, this could work well for all the three teams involved.
One strong motivation for the Celtics is to continue competing next season, even without Jayson Tatum, who had just injured his Achilles during the 2025 playoffs. Even more so, the front office wanted to save as much money as possible, so that the Celtics will be ready once Tatum returns. Trading away both Jrue Holiday and Porzingis saved them a lot of money after shaving millions of dollars in their salary cap to go below the second apron of the luxury tax. According to expert analysts, Boston just removed about $180 million in penalties in luxury tax after going below the second apron. Basically, Holiday and KP allowed the Celtics to be in a better financial situation for 2025-2026 season. Moreover, they got rid of both players’ huge contracts in the next few years, while retaining their core. Plus, they receive a reliable bench guy in Georges Niang.
Meanwhile, the Hawks only used a couple of their first-round picks while also getting rid of the remaining $47 million from Terrence Mann’s contract, all to risk putting Porzingis in an Atlanta Hawks uniform to team up with Trae Young and Jalen Johnson. While it may not be as huge as the Kevin Durant trade, it would be very exciting to see a Young-Porzingis duo in the East.
On the other hand, the Brooklyn Nets are essentially the better receiving end of this transaction. They only used what’s available in their cap space, and was even given a draft pick to take on Mann’s remaining contract. Mann may be an overpaid player who hasn’t produced well in the last couple of years, he still could be a useful piece in the future. In addition, with the 22nd pick given by Atlanta, they now control five first-round picks on the 2025 NBA draft, including No.8, 19, 26, and 27.
Overall, it’s a win-win situation for the Celtics, Hawks, and especially the Nets, who are rebuilding heavily right now.
