NBA: Boston Celtics trade Kristaps Porzingis to Atlanta Hawks

Transition period for the Boston Celtics. After a season in which they failed to keep the throne and in which they underwent a record-breaking ownership change, the most decorated franchise in NBA history has decided to part ways with two key players from last year’s conquest of the Ring.

After sending Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers, the Celtics traded Kristaps Porzingis to the Atlanta Hawks—along with a second-round draft pick—.

In return, the Green-and-White franchise will receive Georges Nieng and another second-round draft pick. The trade involved the Brooklyn Nets, who acquired the services of former Hawks player Terance Mann and a first-round pick.

This three-way trade was reported by several sources. One of them was Shams Charania, one of the NBA's most reputable insiders.

Porzingis landed in Boston in 2023 from the Washington Wizards. In the decade that he has been playing in the NBA, the 29-year-old Latvian native has also worn the jerseys of the Dallas Mavericks and the New York Knicks, the franchise that selected him in the 2015 Draft. He came from the Spanish league.

While last year he was one of the Celtics' most important players—along with Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Holiday or Derrick White, among others—, this season he has barely been able to contribute, due to his constant problems with injuries. He barely played 42 games in the regular season, averaging 19.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists.

The departures of Holiday and Porzingis are no fluke. The Celtics were facing a financial penalty for exceeding the salary cap, so they had to make moves in the transfer market. They were two of the highest paid players on the roster.

This Porzingis trade comes just hours before the 2025 Draft.