Earlier on Wednesday, according to multiple reports, the Celtics, Clippers, and Wizards had a deal in place that would have sent Kristaps Porzingis to Boston, Marcus Morris and draft picks to Washington, and Malcolm Brogdon to the Clippers.
However, that deal reportedly broke down after the Clippers had concerns about Brogdon’s injury status.
Early Thursday morning, the Celtics and Wizards finally had a deal, and instead of the Clippers, the Memphis Grizzlies were added to the agreement.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Celtics will receive Porzingis and two first-round picks from the Grizzlies(2023, 2024). The Wizards get Tyus Jones from Memphis, Danilo Gallinari, Mike Muscala, and a second-round pick from Boston(35th overall); the Grizzlies get Marcus Smart from the Celtics.
For the deal to happen, Porzingis had to opt into the final year of his contract; he is scheduled to make $36 million next season.
Porzingis averaged a career-high 23.2 points per game in 65 games with the Wizards. Washington recently dealt Bradley Beal to the Suns and now they trade Porzingis to the Celtics.
The Wizards continue to rebuild their roster.
Boston gets a talented player in Porzingis. The 7-3 forward has a lot of ability, but he’s had difficulty staying healthy. The Celtics, who lost to the Heat in seven games in the conference finals, are looking to win a championship, and they clearly believe Porzingis can help them do that.
Regarding Smart, he added a lot to Celtics, including toughness and leadership. He’s a winning player. Boston gained picks and Porzingis, but Smart added a lot. The Grizzlies should benefit from what he brings to the table.
This is always a great time of the year in the NBA. You have the NBA Draft, which is Thursday night at Barclays Center. In addition, you have free agency, which starts on June 30, so expect many more moves.
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