Kristaps Porzingis has missed the past eight games and his return won’t be anytime soon. The Hawks released an update Monday that Porzingis will be re-evaluated in a week as he continues to deal with left Achilles tendinitis. That means he’ll miss the Celtics game this week, set for Wednesday at TD Garden.
It’s been a lost season for Porzingis so far as he’s played in just 17 games. He dealt with an illness earlier this season that knocked him out for an extended stretch. Porzingis is now battling this Achilles issue and hasn’t played in a game since Jan. 7. He’ll miss at least a month even if he’s able to play next week.
The Hawks were hoping to take steps toward competing this season, but they’re just 22-25. They already made a big move in trading Trae Young to the Wizards in what was effectively a salary dump.
Porzingis is also a potential trade candidate. He’s on an expiring $30.7 million contract and hasn’t been available throughout most of the season. Porzingis has also been coming off the bench when he is healthy. Injuries have been an issue throughout Porzingis’ career, and it’s again been a struggle this season.
The Celtics beat the Hawks back on Jan. 17 in Atlanta with Porzingis sitting that game. With roughly 1.5 weeks until the trade deadline, it remains to be seen if the big man will stick with the Hawks for the rest of the year.