The Boston Celtics were so close and yet so far from the NBA finals this season. Maybe it wouldn't have made a difference, given how dominant the Nuggets were. However, the Celtics became just the fourth team in league history to overcome a 0-3 deficit before also becoming the fourth team to then lose the subsequent game seven. While they have retained the star tandem of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, the Celtics are eager to put together a roster to find them a championship.
Meanwhile, the Washington Wizards are at the other end of the contention spectrum. In recent days, they decided to finally trigger a full rebuild, trading Bradley Beal to the Suns. However, the return package was definitely less than expected, only netting them Chris Paul, Landrey Shamet, and some second-round picks. Perhaps because of this, recent reports suggest the Wizards aren't done dealing.
Celtics Want Sign-And-Trade For Porziņģis
Per Shams Charania, the Boston Celtics are in talks with the Washington Wizards to acquire center and former fourth-overall pick Kristaps Porziņģis. Porziņģis is a Lativan star drafted in 2015 after beginning his pro career with Sevilla. He has been a key contributor for the Wizards. Joining the team via a trade in 2022, Porziņģis had a career-high 23.2 points per game. Furthermore, he had a career-high shooting percentage of 49.8%. 2023-24 represents a player option year for Porziņģis, who stands to make $36 million if he opts in. It's believed that the Celtics would rather he opt-in and then be traded to them, rather than pursue him in free agency.
Acquiring Porziņģis would earn the Celtics a definite upgrade at center. Porziņģis is a decade younger than current standing center Al Horford. Furthermore, the Latvian had vastly superior numbers in every statistical category. He could be a crucial piece in a Celtics title run. However, it remains to be seen what sort of compensation the Wizards would want in return. Additionally, the loss of Porziņģis would mean that the Wizards would have parted ways with their top three scorers from last season. This would be the case after the Beal trade and Kyle Kuzma opting out of his player option year. This is a developing story and we'll have any updates here on HotNewHipHop.
[via]
