The Boston Celtics dumped Kristaps Porzingis’ salary on the Atlanta Hawks for a second-round pick and Georges Niang, who was traded again just one month later. Boston couldn’t trust KP to stay healthy and was looking to avoid the punitive second apron with Jayson Tatum sidelined to start the year. The Celtics were immediately proven right as Porzingis played just 32 games and was traded to the Warriors at the deadline.
Boston likely missed an opportunity as the Unicorn was dealt for Jonathan Kuminga midseason. A 7’2 stretch big man always has value because some team will convince themselves that KP is their missing piece. He played a career low 24.0 minutes per game this season, and the injury problems reached new heights. His mysterious illness and leg issues should have the entire NBA wondering how many games to expect moving forward.
Since 2018, KP has averaged just 49.4 games per year when factoring out the entire 2018-19 season he missed recovering from a torn ACL. The Celtics want a stretch five, but couldn’t count on him to stay on the floor. They wisely moved on, and things have only gotten worse for Porzingis since.
Kristaps Porzingis proved the Celtics right in his first season away from Boston
KP averaged 16.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.2 blocks in 24.0 minutes per game this season. Neemias Queta averaged just over 10 points per game for the Celtics, but scored 243 more because he played in 76 games. Queta had 100 blocks to KP’s 38 and 636 rebounds to Porzingis’ 167. Being on the court matters, and the Unicorn can’t stay healthy.
There were flashes. Porzingis had an outstanding game in the Play-In Tournament before crashing back to earth in the second game. Boston’s season ended in disappointment with a first-round playoff exit, but Porzingis’ Warriors failed to make the playoffs entirely.
KP made $30.7 million this season, or nearly $1 million per game. The Celtics wisely moved on and didn’t have to deal with the headache of not knowing when the Unicorn would play.
This wasn’t Boston’s only cost-saving measure. They traded Jrue Holiday in the offseason and let Al Horford and Luke Kornet walk in free agency. The Celtics made even more moves at the deadline to dodge the luxury tax entirely. It was a bold strategy to dismantle the title roster, but Brad Stevens knew they had to. It opened multiple avenues for the Celtics to add flexibility and retool their roster this offseason.
Kristaps Porzingis heads into free agency with an uncertain future. The 30-year-old has played more than 57 regular-season games just once since 2017. He will miss time. Whatever team signs him has to know that going in.
The Boston Celtics were right to move on from Kristaps Porzingis. They were forced to salary dump him, but it was still better than the headache of not knowing when he’d be available. Brad Stevens and the front office wisely avoided this overpay. Now, the pressure is on to rebuild around Jayson Tatum. Expect the Celtics to make moves this summer, and fans will be waiting to see what they can pull off.
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