Kristaps Porziņģis at the Boston Celtics is back.
After a deal involving the Los Angeles Clippers fell through, the Celtics and Washington Wizards reached a deal that included the Memphis Grizzlies to send the center forward 7-3 to Boston before Wednesday night’s deadline, Reporting by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The Celtics will send point guard Marcus Smart to Memphis while the Wizards will get Grizzlies guard Tyus Jones as part of the deal. Porziņģis agreed to go for his $36 million player option next season to complete the trade.
The Grizzlies acquire Smart knowing they will be without suspended All-Star Ja Morant for the first 25 games of the 2023-24 regular season. News of the trade broke shortly after Wojnarwoski reported the dissolution of a proposed three-way trade involving the Clippers.
Porziņģis will join a Celtics team that finished second in the Eastern Conference during the regular season and lost to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals. After back-to-back trips to the Conference Finals that included an NBA Finals appearance in 2022, Boston is looking to take the leap to an NBA championship.
Porziņģis, 27, averaged 23.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.5 blocks last season while shooting 49.8% from the field and 38.5% from the field. 3 points in 65 games. His scoring average was a career high, eclipsing the 22.7 points per game in his only All-Star campaign in 2017-18 with the New York Knicks.
Porziņģis offers versatility in attack and a defensive presence capable of altering shots around the perimeter and into the post. He would join a Celtics front line that includes veteran starter Al Horford and 2021-22 All-Defensive Squad center Robert Williams III alongside All-NBA forward Jayson Tatum.
Earlier Wednesday, Wojnarowski and Athletic’s Shams Charania reported that the Celtics, Wizards and Clippers were closing in on a three-way deal that would have sent Porziņģis to Boston. According to the parameters reported, the Wizards would have received Marcus Morris and the No. 30 pick in Thursday’s draft from Los Angeles, while Boston would send Malcolm Brogdon to the Clippers.
Marc Stein reports that the Clippers’ injury issues around Brogdon led to the collapse of the trade.
The Clippers also reportedly sent winger Amir Coffey to Washingtonand the Celtics would have sent Danilo Gallinari to wizards in agreement, by Wojnarowski. The trade would have required Porziņģis to opt for his $36 million player option for the upcoming season.