After a little bit of drama, the Celtics are in fact acquiring Kristaps Porziņģis.
The 2018 All-Star is headed to Boston in a three-team trade that will send longtime Celtic Marcus Smart to the Grizzlies, per reports. Memphis will send two first-round picks to Boston as well, while the Celtics will send a second-rounder to the Wizards.
Boston reportedly was close to acquiring Porziņģis earlier Wednesday in a separate three-team trade involving Malcolm Brogdon and the Clippers. But after that deal fell apart due to injury concerns surrounding Brogdon, this new structure took place.
Porziņģis, 27, averaged a career-best 23.2 points per game for the Wizards last season. Smart, 29, won Defensive Player of the Year in 2022.
Also included in the trade is Tyus Jones, whom Memphis will send to Washington. The Wizards will acquire the expiring contracts of Danilo Gallinari and Mike Muscala. Let’s grade the deal.
Celtics: B
On paper, Porziņģis is a fantastic fit for Boston. He’s an underrated defender, a rim protector who excels in drop coverage. On the other end of the floor, he slots neatly into the Celtics’ five-out, three-point-heavy attack. Porziņģis shot 38.5% from three last season on 5.5 attempts a night. He should get even better looks playing alongside Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
The Celtics were also in desperate need of frontcourt depth. Grant Williams is a restricted free agent and is likely headed elsewhere. Al Horford slowed down considerably over the course of Boston’s latest playoff run and needs his minutes managed. Rob Williams is impactful, but often injured. Porzingis adds a different dimension to the center rotation and will allow Joe Mazzula a bevy of options to mix and match lineups.
However, Porzingis has a history of injuries of his own that are a concern. Can he last four playoff rounds if he has to play deep into a season? His acquisition likely comes with an extension as well, which makes this move fairly risky. And losing Smart is no small deal. For all his frustrating aspects, Smart has been an integral part of the Celtics’ success and made strides as a point guard.
The original version of this deal included Brogdon. Now he and his $22 million contract remain in Boston. If his injury history was enough to scare away the Clippers, how much can he be expected to contribute next season? Maybe Los Angeles was being overly cautious, but the backcourt looks a little thin if Brogdon’s injuries persist.
Meanwhile, two first rounders sound nice on the surface. In reality, Boston moved up 10 spots in Thursday’s draft and picked up a protected Warriors pick.
Ultimately, Boston sent out Smart for Porziņģis and two picks. From a pure value standpoint, that’s a shrewd move. And on paper, it makes a ton of basketball sense to add this type of big to the Celtics’ roster. But losing one of the emotional pillars of the team and Porziņģis’s extensive injury problems slightly cool what is otherwise the latest sensible trade from Brad Stevens.
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Grizzlies: A
Really love this move for Memphis. Jones has been a capable fill-in for Ja Morant—who will miss the first 25 games of next season—in the past, but Smart brings more to the table. Smart can start in place of Morant during his suspension, and adequately run the offense while also guarding perimeter scorers on the other end of the floor. When Morant returns, Smart essentially will take over the Dillon Brooks role, hounding opponents and playing off-ball offensively. He’s a massive upgrade over Brooks. Smart has more big-game experience, does not rely as much on antics and is a much more well-rounded offensive player. Even if Smart is not a great three-point shooter, he’s much more reliable than Brooks. It will be strange seeing Smart in any jersey that’s not green, but his rugged personality is a perfect fit in Memphis.
Washington is basically a way station for contracts that facilitate trades at this point. For Jones’s sake, hopefully he’s moved to a team actually trying to win because he’s too good to be part of a tanker. Not picking up a first for Porziņģis when Smart fetched two is kind of a bummer, even when you consider his contract status.
