The Boston Celtics have a lot of decisions to make in the offseason, with how expensive the roster is. With Jayson Tatum set to miss all of next season with a torn Achilles, this is the perfect time for the Celtics to re-tool for his return.
One of those moves would include trading away center Kristaps Porzingis. With the draft not too far away, June will be the last month with him on the roster.
Celtics Must Move on from Kristaps Porzingis This Summer
In June 2023, the Celtics acquired Kristaps Porzingis from the Washington Wizards in a three-team trade that saw the Celtics give up fan favorite guard Marcus Smart. While the move was tough for Celtics fans, the goal was to bring the team closer to winning banner 18. When June 2024 rolled around, the Celtics ended the NBA season as champions.
The Celtics gained two first-round picks, though neither was used. One was used to trade down and eventually got the Celtics the 2nd round pick they used on Arkansas freshman Jordan Walsh, with the other traded to Portland in the Jrue Holiday trade. With the additions of Porzingis and Holiday, the Celtics dominated the 2023-2024 NBA season.
When the playoffs rolled around, Porzingis missed most of the playoffs after getting hurt in Game 4 in the Celtics' opening series against the Miami Heat. He'd return to a great performance in Game 1 of the NBA Finals against his former team, the Dallas Mavericks. He'd injure his ankle in the following game and miss games 3 and 4, before returning for the closeout Game 5.
For his second season in Boston, Porzingis missed the beginning of the season recovering from offseason ankle surgery, ultimately returning in November for his first game. He'd go on to play 42 games and average 19.5 points, with 6.8 rebounds on 48% shooting from the field and 41% from 3%. In the playoffs, after struggling with an illness earlier in the year, the symptoms returned and plagued Porzingis. He averaged 7.7 points on 31% from the field and 15% from three in 11 games.
Due to his durability concerns and expiring contract, the Celtics should look to move Porzingis to alleviate the team's cap problems. Even with his concerns, Porzingis has a unique skillset for a center in the NBA that should entice teams, though the Celtics may have to attach some draft capital to move him. While Porzingis will forever be remembered as a champion for the Boston Celtics, it's time his playing days for the Celtics came to a close.