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Kristaps Porzingis is being traded by the Boston Celtics to the Atlanta Hawks, and part of what will be a three-team deal gives the Brooklyn Nets another selection in the first round of the NBA Draft on Wednesday, according to a person with knowledge of the agreement.
Porzingis is going to the Hawks, while Georges Niang and a second-round pick will be acquired by Boston and Brooklyn will wind up with Terance Mann and the No. 22 pick that is held by Atlanta in the draft, said the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the trade isn't expected to be finalized until the start of the new league year on July 6.
ESPN first reported the trade Tuesday, and it was later confirmed by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The move is the second major one by Boston in a 24-hour span; the team agreed to trade Jrue Holiday to Portland late Monday night. The combination of those moves still has Boston past the tax line for next season but out from under the second apron, which gives the Celtics -- who will be without Jayson Tatum for, at minimum, a significant portion of next season because of an Achilles tear -- more flexibility moving forward.
Getting under the second apron is important; that threshold, once exceeded, limits ways that teams can trade for or sign players.
Porzingis -- who, like Holiday, was part of the team that helped Boston win the 2024 NBA title -- will make $30.7 million next season on an expiring contract. He was slowed by illness at times in the second half of this past season, as well as in Boston's playoff run this spring. But he intends to play for Latvia at EuroBasket this summer, a good sign.
"Thanks for all the support and questions about my health," Porzingis posted on social media this week. "I've been feeling excellent all offseason and look forward to a healthy and strong European championship tournament."
Porzingis averaged 19.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 42 games this season.
The Nets now technically have five picks in the first round. They own the 8th, 19th, 26th and 27th selections already, and the Hawks will essentially be picking for the Nets now at No. 22, as well.
In another trade, the New Orleans Pelicans have agreed to send veteran guard CJ McCollum, center Kelly Olynyk and a future second-round pick to the Washington Wizards for guard Jordan Poole, wing Saddiq Bey and the 40th overall pick in the second round of the NBA Draft, according to a person with knowledge of the agreement.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on Tuesday on condition of anonymity because the trade has not been announced.
McCollum, a 12-year veteran who has averaged 19.6 points per game throughout his career, now joins his third team since 2022 after spending the bulk of his career with Portland. Poole, a six-year veteran who has averaged 16.8 points per game, also joins his third franchise after spending his first four seasons with Golden State and the past two with the Wizards.
Nine-time All-Star Kyrie Irving will reportedly stick with the Dallas Mavericks, who hold the No. 1 pick in the draft. According to a report from Shams Charania of ESPN, Irving declined his $43 million dollar player option with the team but agreed to sign a three-year, $119 million deal to stay in Dallas, which he helped to an NBA Finals appearance in 2024.
Irving, who won an NBA championship with Cleveland in 2016, torn his left ACL on March 26 and will likely miss the start of next season. The Mavericks finished 39-43 last season and failed to make the playoffs through the play-in tournament. They signed Daniel Gafford (El Dorado/Arkansas Razorbacks) to a three-year extension Monday.