Boston Celtics tackle their salary overload; trade two key players
The Boston Celtics are sending Kristaps Porzingis to the Atlanta Hawks as part of a three-team trade also involving the Brooklyn Nets, ESPN reported on Tuesday.
Atlanta will receive the 7-foot-2 Porzingis and a second-round draft pick; the Nets get Hawks guard/forward Terance Mann and their No. 22 pick; and the Celtics gained Atlanta forward Georges Niang and a second-rounder, per the report.
The oft-injured Kristaps Porzingis, who was set to be paid $30.7 million in 2025-26, was traded by the Celtics on Tuesday night in a three-team deal.
The Celtics, who on Monday reportedly sent two-time All-Star guard Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers, will be out of the salary cap's second apron with the trade of the oft-injured Porzingis and save a projected $180 million in tax penalties, ESPN reported.
Mar 24, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jrue Holiday (4) dribbles the ball against the Sacramento Kings in the first quarter at the Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson/Imagn Images
Boston reportedly is actively involved in trade talks involving multiple players on their roster following star Jayson Tatum's Achilles tear in the second round of the playoffs.
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Porzingis, 29, was an All-Star in 2017-18 with the New York Knicks, who drafted him with the No. 4 overall pick in 2015. Derailed by injuries, he missed the entire 2018-19 season with a torn ACL and has played fewer than 60 games in six of his last seven campaigns.
He missed the start of this past season following offseason ankle surgery. The torn medial retinaculum injury, considered "rare," occurred during the NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks, which the Celtics won in five games.
Porzingis averaged 19.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.5 blocks and 28.8 minutes in playing in only 42 regular-season games (all starts) last season. He also played in 11 playoff games (seven starts) and averaged 7.7 points, 4.6 rebounds and 21.0 minutes.
For his career, Porzingis averages 19.6 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.8 blocks and 30.8 minutes in 501 games (500 starts) for the Knicks (2015-18), Mavericks (2019-22), Washington Wizards (2022-23) and Celtics.
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He earned $29.2 million this season and is due to earn $30.7 million in 2025-26.
The Los Angeles Clippers selected Mann in the second round of the 2019 draft.
The Clippers traded Mann to the Hawks on Feb. 6. He averaged 9.8 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 22.7 minutes in 30 games (one start) for Atlanta — all improvements over his earlier averages in 37 games (12 starts) for Los Angeles.
For his career, Mann, 28, averages 8.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 22.1 minutes in 412 games (169 starts) for the Clippers and Hawks.
Georges Niang is reportedly coming to the Celtics as part of the Kristaps Porzingis deal.
The Indiana Pacers picked Niang in the second round of the 2016 draft. Niang, who turned 32 on June 17, has averaged 7.4 points, 2.5 rebounds and 17.5 minutes in 544 games (32 starts).
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Niang has played for the Pacers (2016-17), Utah Jazz (2017-21), Philadelphia 76ers (2021-23), Cleveland Cavaliers (2023-25) and Hawks, who acquired him on Feb. 6. He averaged 12.1 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 23.0 minutes in 28 games (two starts) for Atlanta.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Boston Celtics trade Porzingis, Holiday in cost-cutting move
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