Subscribe
Follow Us
Jayson Tatum's achilles injury will likely hold him out for all of next season, so now is the time for the Boston Celtics to shed salary. The team with the most expensive roster in basketball is well past the second apron, so they'd be smart to trade a player like Kristaps Porzingis ahead of a season where their best player recovers from injury.
Porzingis is set to make over $30 million next year, and shedding his salary would help the team get their payroll in check. Porzingis helped the Celtics win a championship, but he has been injured nearly as often as he has been healthy with the team. The Latvian big man has dealt with injuries woes throughout his career, and the Celtics have learned how to win without him. The Washington Wizards are a rebuilding team that could be happy to take on Porzingis' contract, especially because the Celtics own their second-round pick in this year's NBA Draft. So, what would a Porzingis-to-Washington trade look like?
Wizards trade proposal for Kristaps Porzingis
Wizards receive: Kristaps Porzingis, 2025 second-round pick (via Washington)
Celtics receive: Richaun Holmes, Saddiq Bey, Anthony Gill, Colby Jones
As a multi-year offender being over the second apron, there are serious roster-building repercussions coming for the Celtics. Trading Porzingis would help the team get closer to being under the second apron, and this deal sees them shed $11 million in salary. Porzingis is a solid player, and he fits the Celtics offense well because both he and the entirety of the team like to fire 3-pointers.
However, the Celtics are unlikely to compete for the championship without Tatum, and Porzingis has proven to be unreliable. Even when Tatum returns, Porzingis was only healthy for seven of Boston's postseason games when they won the championship, so they've shown that they can win without him.
Despite averaging close to 20 points per game in each of the last eight seasons, Porzingis doesn't seem to have much of a market when it comes to trades due to his pricey salary figure and injury history. That means that the Celtics can't expect to get much back in return for him. Adding cheap players who can play rotation minutes is key for a Celtics team that will likely lose a lot of depth in the coming years.
Article Continues Below
None of Richaun Holmes, Anthony Gill, or Colby Jones would make a huge impact in Boston, but they are three bodies that the Celtics could use in varying situations when need be. Bey would be a good get for Boston, though. He has averaged double-digit scoring figures in each season of his career. He missed all of what would have been his first year with the Wizards due to an ACL injury, and a lot of young players established themselves as foundational pieces for the Wizards while he was on the sideline, so Washington could be willing to part with him.
Would the Wizards trade for Kristaps Porzingis?
Porzingis played for the Wizards from 2022-23. There didn't seem to be any bad blood when they traded him to the Celtics to begin with, either. Instead, he was moved because the Wizards were undergoing a rebuild of their own. There shouldn't be anything stopping a reunion between Porzingis and the Wizards.
Washington likely wouldn't want to be tied up long-term to Porzingis, but he only has one year left on his deal. Washington has shown a willingness to take on pricey veterans as long as they get some additional incentive. For example, Khris Middleton and Marcus Smart were both traded for last season despite both being well past their primes.
In this deal, that incentive is gaining control of their second-round draft pick, which is only two selections removed from the first round. After years of drafting mediocre players and busts, the Wizards have seemingly turned a corner when it comes to player evaluation and development. All of Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George, and Bub Carrington showed promise during their rookie seasons.
The Wizards rebuild is far from over, so they'd be smart to add even more draft capital. Additionally, it is possible the Wizards could flip Porzingis to another team for even more assets later on. This salary dump would benefit both the Celtics and the Wizards.
