New Blockbuster Three-Team Trade Proposal Sends Jrue To The Clippers, Porzingis to Atlanta, Boston Clears Space

The offseason is here for 26 teams in the NBA. The conference finals have arrived and there are only four teams left alive with hopes of making it to the ultimate goal of winning a championship. Heading into this offseason, the Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, and Los Angeles Clippers are all searching for the next steps to take as a franchise, which is different for all three.

Atlanta is going to be a team worth watching. Most will point to a potential Trae Young trade, but that does not appear likely (for now) and Atlanta may move forward with this core of Young, Dyson Daniels, Zaccharie Risacher, Jalen Johnson, and Onyeka Okongwu. If the Hawks decide to do that, they need to improve their bench in a big way this offseason. Due to the NBA's CBA and apron rules, you are going to be seeing a lot more three-team trades between teams so salaries can move around. Atlanta could try to attach themselves to a big deal and add some pieces to their bench if they opt to move forward with this starting five. The Hawks need interior defense, frontcourt depth, shooting, and maybe a backup lead guard/ball handler. This is not a great free agent class to be filling those needs, so could the Hawks look to the trade market? NBA insider Marc Stein has already reported that Atlanta could look to be facilitators this summer in the trade market due to their financial flexibility, depending on if the team brings back any of Caris LeVert, Clint Capela, or Larry Nance.

While the playoffs are always unpredictable, practically no one saw the Boston Celtics losing to the New York Knicks after blowing 20-point leads in both Game 1 and 2. The Celtics were excellent throughout the regular season, going 4-0 versus the Knicks en route to another 60+ win season. Not only that, but Jayson Tatum injured his Achilles and is likely to be out next season. Being eliminated by New York means the offseason is here for the Celtics.

Even if Boston had won in convincing fashion and repeated as champs, they would almost certainly have needed to make a significant trade this summer. Another season of being in the second apron would result in their first-round pick seven years into the future becoming "frozen" and ineligible to be traded. Furthermore, second-apron teams cannot use the mid-level exception, cannot aggregate salaries in trades, cannot take back more salary than they send out in trades, cannot send cash in trades, and cannot sign-and-trade a player for another player.

Specifically, Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis are two obvious candidates to be moved elsewhere. Porzingis is consistently unavailable for Boston and has looked hobbled throughout the 2025 playoffs after he missed most of the championship run. His rim protection and floor spacing are valuable, but the Celtics won't be without either if they move on from him.

The Clippers were one of the best teams in the NBA this past season but fell in seven games to the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs. Los Angeles is in an interesting position. They don't have the assets to necessarily make a major move and have an aging roster with Kawhi Leonard and James Harden both over 30. They don't have control over their own first-round pick until 2030 either. They do however have good players on reasonable contracts and a few draft picks in the future to trade. Will they remain all-in on winning a championship with an older team and could someone like Holiday be an option?

So how about a trade where each of these teams tries to fill a need?

It should be noted that this is just a speculative and fun exercise to see what kind of moves can be made, not what I think the Hawks or any other teams should do or will do. That is all.

Hawks Receive: Kristaps Porzingis, Neemias Queta, and Kobe Brown

Celtics Receive: Norman Powell, Derrick Jones Jr, Terance Mann, a 2025 1st round pick (Via LAC, No. 30), a 2025 1st round pick (Via ATL, No. 22), a 2027 2nd round pick (From ATL, via CLE), a 2029 2nd round pick (from ATL, via CLE)

Clippers Receive: Jrue Holiday, Georges Niang, Xavier Tillman, and a 2025 1st round pick (via BOS, No. 28)

Why the Hawks do this trade: The Hawks solve a ton of problems with this trade. Porzingis at his best gives them needed floor spacing, interior size, and versatility. Over the past year, Atlanta has wanted to get bigger around Trae Young and put the kind of team around him to succeed. Porzingis can do that. He could play the four and Atlanta could have a big lineup of Young, Dyson Daniels, Jalen Johnson, Porzingis, and Onyeka Okongwu. Or, Porzingis could come off the bench and be a backup center (not likely, but who knows). Queta is an intriguing prospect at center. Atlanta could try buying low on Porzingis (much like Boston did) and hope it pays off.

Why the Hawks don't do this trade: Porzingis is a huge injury risk. He has battled injuries at different parts of his career and was battling an illness with Boston this season. Is he going to be available for the Hawks? Atlanta needs to prove something this season and has struggled with player availability over the past two seasons. At his best, Porzingis would be a huge help, but it is a risk. Does Atlanta want to move off of one of their first rounders? How would Porzingis fit with the team? There is considerable downside to this which Atlanta may not want to have.

Why the Celtics do this trade: They feel this is their best option to reset their team. While moving Holiday and Porzingis would get them under the 2nd apron, the return for both players is not likely to be much. Powell, Jones and Mann give them veterans to help stay in the playoffs this upcoming season in the East and Powell is an expiring contract. They get under the 2nd apron and don't have to give up a lot of assets to do so

Why the Celtics don't do this trade: They don't like the return and think they could do better with other teams

Why the Clippers do this trade: They hope that Holiday can help them in the playoffs more than the other two players did while also staying under the luxury tax. The Clippers don't have the assets to make a big splash, but something like this could keep them in playoff contention and near the top of the West.

Why the Clippers don't do this: They don't feel like Holiday can make them much better and they would rather find a different trade or run it back with their team.

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