[stevenash]

Boston Celtics acquire Kristaps Porzingis, 25th pick in 2023 and a 2024 first-round pick

What are the Celtics’ plans for Porziņģis? That was my initial thought when it came to seeing this trade news. Is this a short-term play, or will we see an extension offered that may lower his salary after this season but gives him long-term security? The fit for Porziņģis in the frontcourt has a lot of potential, but we often feel that way with Porziņģis. He’s extremely tall, has a great wingspan, he’s pretty nimble, and he’s exceptionally skilled for a 7-foot-3 man.


Look at his numbers after leaving Dallas. In 82 games with the Wizards, Porzingis averaged 22.9 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.5 blocks with 49.3/38.2/85.5 shooting splits. That’s good for 62.2 percent true shooting. That’s incredibly efficient. He’s become a pretty solid rebounder, he can rim protect some, and he has a great outside shot.

Fitting that into what the Celtics do isn’t hard. It means Al Horford (37) can take a step back in the rotation if needed, or he can play alongside Porziņģis when Robert Williams III isn’t available. They could also bring Porziņģis off the bench as a super sixth man next to Brogdon.

They can run the offense through him in the second unit, or he can play third fiddle to Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown as an expert pick-and-pop option. He can camp in the corner and spread the floor. And defensively, he can be a nice rim-protecting presence as long as he’s able to take the physical toll of being in a pretty tough and active defensive system.

The Celtics have options, as long as Porziņģis is healthy, and that’s the part that could worry you. Since the ACL injury that cost him well over 100 games from 2017 to 2019, Porziņģis has missed 95 games in four seasons. That’s a lot of missed time. On a one-year rental, even at $36 million, it’s a risk you can take with the depth the Celtics have.

That they upgraded 10 spots in this draft and got a first-round pick in next year’s draft is pretty ridiculous.

Grade: A

[stevenash]

Memphis Grizzlies acquire Marcus Smart


With Jones on the way out and the Grizzlies knowing Ja Morant will miss the first 25 games next season, they did pretty well for themselves. Remember that Dillon Brooks is not coming back under any circumstances, so the Grizzlies needed some help in the backcourt. Smart is a great upgrade at the guard position, especially once Morant is back. He can be a dog defensively but not in a way that ends up hurting the team.

Smart is a solid offensive option who can run pick-and-rolls. He can run whatever Memphis wants to do while Morant is gone, then play next to him with ease when everything is back to normal. It hurts giving up their first-round pick and a future pick along with Jones, but the Grizzlies have a chance to be a lot more stable when the dust settles. Smart has three more years on his contract, so they’re not in danger of losing him anytime soon.

]They gave up a lot, but this is still a solid trade.

Grade: B

[stevenash]

Washington Wizards acquire Tyus Jones, Danilo Gallinari, Mike Muscala, the 35th pick in the 2023 draft


I absolutely hated what the Wizards did in agreeing to trade Bradley Beal. I had no problem with the decision to move him, but the return was subpar at best. They have to pray things fall apart whenever the pick swaps come into the mix for them and Phoenix. Or maybe they grab a decent player with the second-round picks they got.

This deal is technically better but still confusing. I liked it better earlier in the day when it looked like Washington would get the 30th pick from LA, but let’s examine.

Jones is an interesting pickup, and the Wizards are getting the 35th pick in the draft. Maybe they don’t know they’re allowed to ask for first-round picks in trades. Jones is arguably the best backup point guard in basketball, and there were some whispers last month that maybe he wanted to move on from Memphis for a chance to start. He’ll get that chance with the Wizards because he immediately becomes the best point guard on the roster (let’s presume Chris Paul is moved elsewhere). No offense to Monté Morris, who is an excellent backup.

Jones is brilliant at running a team: high assists, low turnovers, and he can score a little too. He competes on defense, but he’s undersized. He’s going to be a nice player for the Wizards for as long as they have him, but he might be a movable asset by the trade deadline. He has one year left on his deal, and then he’s a free agent. I still don’t understand how the Wizards have acquired zero first-round picks (swaps don’t count) by trading their two best players, regardless of contract or no-trade clause situations. If Jones leaves next summer or they don’t trade him, this becomes a worse trade for them. Boston getting the picks the Wizards should have received makes no sense.

Grade: C

[goduke]

Bad trade for the Celtics. Porzingis is weak mentally, injury prone and doesn’t have the ability to be a team leader.
Clearing out team leaders is only going to hurt the team when Tatum goes full Kobe ball at the end of games and no one calls him out for it.
Plus if Brown leaves now you might as just start a full rebuild.
Celtics are going nowhere fast

[Mackballs]

Bad trade for the Celtics. Porzingis is weak mentally, injury prone and doesn’t have the ability to be a team leader.
Clearing out team leaders is only going to hurt the team when Tatum goes full Kobe ball at the end of games and no one calls him out for it.
Plus if Brown leaves now you might as just start a full rebuild.
Celtics are going nowhere fast

Smart is an absolute cancer to that team. Overrated as they come and thinks he's a superstar. Locker room just got a whole lot looser.

[Goat Milk]

Tatum isn't a superstar, he's soft

[goduke]

Smart is an absolute cancer to that team. Overrated as they come and thinks he's a superstar. Locker room just got a whole lot looser.

Absolute wild take.

[stevenash]

The last five MVP's are 6'11" or taller, and all are international.

Zinger is 7'3" and from an international program.

Porzingis has never won an MVP, and probably never will. but that's the way the NBA is trending now, big men and international.

[TheMoneyShot]

Would you ever split up Bird and McHale? Fu## no.

Would you ever split up Tatum and Brown? Fu##....... well wait a minute.... yes... yes you would. Crazy to think this... but there is something missing between the 2.

Flat out embarrassing that they couldn't win a Championship together.

[Ian]

Would you ever split up Bird and McHale? Fu## no.

Would you ever split up Tatum and Brown? Fu##....... well wait a minute.... yes... yes you would. Crazy to think this... but there is something missing between the 2.

Flat out embarrassing that they couldn't win a Championship together.

The Big 3 of the 80s were wildly better than Tatum and Brown. By win shares at this point in their careers Larry Bird was slightly more valuable than Tatum and Brown combined. McHale and Parish combined were more valuable than Tatum & Brown by win shares too.

Boston could improve a lot by ditching Brown in favor of a player like Damian Lillard. In the 80s it would be very hard to find better immediate player than the players they already had in their core.

I agree that it is surprising that Boston hasn't won a championship since Tatum joined the team given their multiple deep playoff runs. That said, the Celtics of the last 6 years aren't anything close to the NBA dynasties of the past.

Just my opinion...

[chico2663]

The last five MVP's are 6'11" or taller, and all are international.

Zinger is 7'3" and from an international program.

Porzingis has never won an MVP, and probably never will. but that's the way the NBA is trending now, big men and international.

Love ya brother but if your take was correct I would be a millionaire. Have 7 in family (not including stocks) and a billionaire. See where I m going with this? The billionaire has been in oil business ( or family) since 1969

[Snowball]

I am all for this trade, but the Celtics have to resist the temptation to book Brown on a supermax contract.
Celtics need a true PG now. I say get a PG, put Porzingis at Center, keep Tatum.
Brown and Smart are two of the most overrated players I've ever seen wear green. If the Celtics sign Brown then this Porzingis trade and losing Williams and Smart makes no sense. Brown must go. All that money will be wasted without a real point guard. Tatum NEEDS a PG. Tatum and Brown must be broken up. They are a losing combination and it is not affordable to blow the cap for two forewards. They picked up Dalano Banton, but he has to be bench. I don't know. I have no trust in Stevens. I feel he will do the wrong thing and keep Brown and Tatum together.

[TheMoneyShot]

The Big 3 of the 80s were wildly better than Tatum and Brown. By win shares at this point in their careers Larry Bird was slightly more valuable than Tatum and Brown combined. McHale and Parish combined were more valuable than Tatum & Brown by win shares too.

Boston could improve a lot by ditching Brown in favor of a player like Damian Lillard. In the 80s it would be very hard to find better immediate player than the players they already had in their core.

I agree that it is surprising that Boston hasn't won a championship since Tatum joined the team given their multiple deep playoff runs. That said, the Celtics of the last 6 years aren't anything close to the NBA dynasties of the past.

Just my opinion...

With what you just said.... I'm tired of the NBA pumping up Tatum saying he is "ELITE". Elite at??? What??? Either Tatum should take the heat for not winning anything... or Brown should. Tatum isn't a die hard clutch player. Most of his stats come from blowing out teams who have given up during the regular season. In the Playoffs... Tatum is a choir boy. Nothing more than a little choir boy.

[chico2663]

With what you just said.... I'm tired of the NBA pumping up Tatum saying he is "ELITE". Elite at??? What??? Either Tatum should take the heat for not winning anything... or Brown should. Tatum isn't a die hard clutch player. Most of his stats come from blowing out teams who have given up during the regular season. In the Playoffs... Tatum is a choir boy. Nothing more than a little choir boy.

Post of the year!!!

[stevenash]

Love ya brother but if your take was correct I would be a millionaire. Have 7 in family (not including stocks) and a billionaire. See where I m going with this? The billionaire has been in oil business ( or family) since 1969

Or the booze business.
My moms' late dad, my grandpappy 90 years ago at the end of prohibition jumped right on the Budweiser wagon (see what I did there?)
That saved our family during the great depression.
I inherited my moms money, which was my grandpas Budweiser money ten years ago.
That set me up nice,

[Headsterx]

Tatum isn't a superstar, he's soft