Kristaps Porzingis Breaks Silence on Being Traded By Celtics

The Boston Celtics traded away fan-favorite center Kristaps Porzingis over the NBA offseason for salary cap relief, and he spoke out in the aftermath of the deal.

Porzingis' deal was set to expire after the upcoming season and was worth more than $20 million.

Star Jayson Tatum got injured in the NBA playoffs, ending his season and ruling him out for the 2025-26 season as well.

His injury also ruled out the chance that the Celtics would keep its veteran core together, and Porzingis was one of the players who was on the chopping block.

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In the aftermath of the deal, Porzingis opened up about how his offseason and the trade unfolded.

“Our season (with the Celtics) didn’t end last year the way we wanted to,” Porzingis told Lauren Williams from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

“But this is how it goes, you know. And obviously, we expected that there were going to be changes in my whole team…And also (I) jumped in the middle of the season, and it’s obviously tough, and just having this time off and being able to recharge a bit and get ready for a big summer, and then going into next year, it’s, honestly, it’s the perfect scenario, the perfect scenario.

"And I’m super, super excited about what’s coming.”

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Many expected that the Celtics would need to attach a draft asset to get out of the Porzingis deal, but the Atlanta Hawks ended up offering two second-round picks and Georges Niang.

The deal was a salary dump, lowering the team's salary commitments while they regain flexibility to retool the roster.

The modern Collective Bargaining Agreement restricts how much teams can spend in consecutive seasons.

Considering his inability to stay on the court and the Celtics' ridiculously high salary sheet, Porzingis was a likely candidate to be dealt.

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