Kristaps Porzingis trade grades for Hawks, Celtics, Nets in 3-team deal

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Let’s grade the Kristaps Porzingis trade between the Hawks, Celtics, and Nets from every side.

The Boston Celtics’ teardown in the wake of Jayson Tatum’s torn Achilles is fully underway. On Monday night, the Celtics traded Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers. On Tuesday, the Celtics traded away another key piece from their 2024 championship team by sending Kristaps Porzingis to the Atlanta Hawks in a three-team deal.

The Hawks are acquiring Porzingis and a second-round pick. The Celtics are getting Georges Niang and a second-rounder. The Brooklyn Nets are getting Terance Mann and the No. 22 pick in the draft that Atlanta was in control of from the Lakers. The trade was first reported by Shams Charania.

The Hawks added a center they desperately needed, the Celtics saved money, and the Nets rented out their cap space to pick up another first-round pick. It’s hard to believe Brooklyn now has five first-round picks in the 2025 NBA Draft on Wednesday night. Let’s grade this deal from every side.

Hawks grade for Kristaps Porzingis trade

The Hawks’ biggest need this offseason was finding a starting center with Clint Capela entering free agency. Capela had been Atlanta’s top big man for the last five years even as the team used a top-10 pick to select Onyeka Okongwu. With Capela now past his prime on the wrong side of 30, Atlanta needed a new center, and they found one with Porzingis.

Porzingis is a fascinating bet. If he’s healthy, he gives Atlanta an above-average rim protector who is also one of the better three-pointing centers in the NBA. Of course, if he’s healthy carries major weight with Porzingis after all the injury trouble he’s endured throughout his career, and especially this past season.

Porzingis had a mystery virus that slowed him down in the playoffs as the Celtics were eliminated by the Knicks in the second round. He played only 42 games this season after needing ankle surgery over the offseason following the Celtics’ title run. Boston won the 2024 championship with Porzingis playing only a minor role in the playoffs because of the ankle injury.

Porzingis can still be really good when he’s available. He made 41 percent of his three-pointers this year on six attempts per game, a fantastic number for any player, let alone a big man. He’s a 36.6 percent three-point shooter for his career. His shooting will give Atlanta a dimension they’ve never had in the Trae Young era without sacrificing defense.

Porzingis is still a good shot-blocker too who can anchor the Hawks’ defense. Atlanta has tried to build a team of long and talented defenders around Young, and this is the final piece. The Hawks already have Dyson Daniels, Jalen Johnson, and Zaccharie Risacher protecting Young on the perimeter. Porzingis is one of the longest players in the league with a 7’6 wingspan, and he’s been one of the league’s better rim protectors when he’s available.

Atlanta obviously sees an opportunity in the East with Jayson Tatum, Tyrese Haliburton, and Damian Lillard all recovering from a torn Achilles. Porzingis will be 30 years old for next season, and he’s on an expiring $30.7 million contract. The Hawks already have the No. 13 pick in this draft, and now can take the best player available with their biggest need filled. Porzingis isn’t a reliable player because of the health concerns, but he’s still pretty good when he’s available, and there isn’t much risk here on an expiring contract. This is good work by Atlanta’s new front office.

Hawks grade: A-

Celtics grade for Kristaps Porzingis trade

This trade is strictly about saving money for Boston. Niang makes $8.2 million next season on an expiring deal. Acquiring him in place of Porzingis will save the Celtics so much money in luxury tax payments, and help them get to a clean slate when Tatum returns from injury a year from now.

Porzingis didn’t have much trade value after he was slowed down by the illness in the playoffs. Ideally the Celtics would have gotten some real assets back for him and Holiday, but both declined to the point where the team was happy to just dump them without attaching any picks themselves to do so.

The Celtics are ready for a reset. Will a Jaylen Brown or Derrick White trade come next? If so, Boston could be looking like a lottery team in the East next year ahead of a loaded top-3 in the 2026 NBA Draft. If Brown and White both remain, it’s not totally out of the question that Boston can make the playoffs in a weak East. I’ll guess Boston is a lottery team, and that’s just the way they want it.

Celtics grade: B+

Nets grade for 3-team trade with Celtics, Hawks

Brooklyn got another first round pick with No. 22 coming their way in this deal. The Nets took on Mann’s contract to get it, which will pay him $47 million over the next three years. As someone who is always in favor of bad teams renting out their draft space for first-round picks, this feels like a sharp move by Brooklyn’s front office.

The Nets now pick at No. 8, No. 19, No. 22, No. 26, and No. 27. Read our latest mock draft for more on the options available with those picks. Will the Nets really have five first-round picks on the roster next season? It’s unlikely. There has been plenty of smoke that the Nets want to trade up in the draft, potentially targeting Oklahoma guard Jeremiah Fears or Rutgers forward Ace Bailey. They now have the assets to do it. It’s also possible Brooklyn could stick at No. 8 and take the best player available, then auction off some of their later first round picks for future first-round picks from other teams.

GM Sean Marks nailed the Mikal Bridges trade, and it has the Nets set up well for the future. I don’t love the depth of this draft class after the lottery, but Brooklyn is guaranteed to get a good prospect at No. 8, and now they have the ammo to move up if they really want to.

The other aspect of this trade is that now there really aren’t any teams with cap space as Mann takes up a chunk of Brooklyn’s. If your team has a restricted free agent this season, there won’t be much of a market for their services. Overall, I think this is a good use of cap space by the Nets, and sets up plenty of interesting paths come draft day.

Nets grade: A