Make that two blockbuster trades in less than 24 hours for the Celtics.
One day after Boston shipped Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers, ESPN’s Shams Charania on Tuesday reported the team was finalizing a three-team deal to send Kristaps Porzingis to the Atlanta Hawks.
The Celtics reportedly will receive forward Georges Niang and a second-round pick in the trade, which, in conjunction with the Holiday swap, pushed Boston below the second apron of the NBA’s luxury tax. The third team, the Brooklyn Nets, will net Hawks guard Terrance Mann and Atlanta’s first-round selection (No. 22 overall) in the 2025 NBA Draft.
While the Celtics were able to get a quality return in the Holiday trade (26-year-old scorer Anfernee Simons and three second-rounders), the Porzingis move is more of a straight salary dump. The center was set to make $30.7 million on an expiring contract this coming season.
Niang, a 32-year-old Lawrence native who attended high school at the Tilton School in New Hampshire, is an NBA journeyman who’s appeared in games for five different franchises, plus three G League teams. His best asset is his 3-point shooting, as he’s a career 39.9% shooter from beyond the arc. Niang appeared in 79 games this season for Cleveland and Atlanta, averaging 9.9 points and 3.4 rebounds per game while attempting 5.4 3-pointers and making 40.6% of them.
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Originally Published: June 24, 2025 at 7:09 PM EDT