The Boston Celtics have made another significant roster move in what should be an exciting offseason for the NBA.
The Celtics are trading Kristaps Porzingis to the Atlanta Hawks in a three-team deal, ESPN's Shams Charania reported Tuesday. Porzingis and a second-round draft pick will head to Atlanta in exchange for Georges Niang and a second-rounder. The Hawks sent Terance Mann and their No. 22 overall pick to the Brooklyn Nets.
The C's entered the offseason as a second apron team. They needed to shed salary, so this trade involving Porzingis isn't surprising. Porzingis is entering the final year of his contract, which carries a $30.7 million salary cap hit, per Spotrac. As a result of this deal and the Jrue Holiday trade, the Celtics are now $4.5 million under the second apron.
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Porzingis averaged 19.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game, while shooting 48.3 percent from the field and 41.2 percent from 3-point range this past season.
Porzingis' tenure in Boston lasted just two seasons, but it did produce some memorable moments.
His apex with the Celtics was a 60-second stretch in the first quarter of Game 1 of the 2024 NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks when he made a huge impact at both ends of the court. Porzingis was making his return to the lineup after missing the previous 10 games due to injury.
Porzingis was unable to stay healthy for a good chunk of his career in Boston. He missed 25 games in 2023-24 and 40 games in 2024-25. He played in all 11 of Boston's 2025 playoff games but was limited in some of them due to a mystery illness. He provided an undeniable spark when on the court, however, and was a fan favorite at TD Garden.
Niang, 32, averaged 9.9 points and 3.4 rebounds per game last season with the Hawks and Cleveland Cavaliers. The Massachusetts native has also had stints with the Indiana Pacers, Utah Jazz, and Philadelphia 76ers.
