New Blockbuster Three-Team Trade Proposal Sends Porzingis to Atlanta, Mann to Celtics As Hawks Remake Frontcourt

While the playoffs are always unpredictable, practically no one saw the Boston Celtics being down 2-0 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. However, it appears that they might be eliminated far earlier than expected.

Even if Boston had won in convincing fashion, they will almost certainly need 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.

All of those restrictions increase the probability of the Celtics trading one of their big contracts this summer. Jayson Tatum, Derrick White and Jaylen Brown are probably safe. However, other members of the Celtics' starting lineup probably aren't as lucky. 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 is valuable, but the Celtics won't be without either if they move on from him.

One team that could be interested in Porzingis is the Hawks. They have tons of salary flexibility this summer and are currently searching for a way to elevate themselves into a consistent postseason threat. Even with his flaws, Porzingis would give them a skillset that they currently lack. The Hawks need interior defense, frontcourt depth, and shooting. This is not a great free agent class to be filling those needs, hence why the trade market is going to be of interest for the Hawks.

The Jazz have tons of cap space, but they are in the midst of a rebuild and always looking to acquire more assets. They would make a ton of sense as the third team in a variety of deals, taking on veteran contracts and getting picks in return. Furthermore, Utah could also use more role players that have a consistent, proven skillset to fit around their prospects.

Even though the odds of Porzingis being traded within the Eastern Conference are low, how about a trade that sends the seven-foot center to Atlanta?

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 team should do or will do. That is all.

Atlanta Hawks receive: Kristaps Porzingis, Sam Hauser, Svi Mykhailiuk, 2025 2nd round pick (via UTA, from DAL), 2025 2nd round pick (via UTA, from LAC)

Boston Celtics receive: Terance Mann, Walker Kessler, 2025 1st round pick (via ATL, from LAL)

Utah Jazz receive: Georges Niang, 2025 1st round pick (via BOS), 2026 2nd round pick (via BOS)

Why the Hawks do this trade: They get more two-way upside in their frontcourt by swapping Niang out for Porzingis. A frontcourt of Jalen Johnson, Porzingis and Onyeka Okongwu would be one of the best in basketball while also bringing Zaccharie Risacher off the bench. Porzingis shot 41.2% from deep this season on 6.2 attempts per game while being an excellent rim protector. He finished this season with a block percentage of 4.8%, which was above known shot-blockers like Myles Turner and Rudy Gobert. Hauser is an excellent shooter (41.6% from deep on 5.6 attempts a game) who has taken strides on defense. Svi gives the Hawks even more wing depth and can fill in during the regular season in case of injuries. Furthermore, they would still be under the tax while making these moves.

Why the Hawks do not do this trade: Porzingis's injury history is very concerning. He's currently dealing with an illness and hasn't looked anywhere close to the same player that aided Boston's dominance through the regular season. Furthermore, the Hawks would also be giving up a first-round pick in this deal. Even if they are picking up two second rounders, the chances of hitting on second-round picks is much lower than first-round selections.

Why the Celtics do this trade: They get out of the second apron and acquire a solid defender in Mann who can be a better shooter when paired with the Celtics' spacing. He's under contract for the next three years, so they won't have to consider any sort of extensions. Furthermore, Boston hasn't been quite as good at stopping opposing backcourts this season as Holiday has declined. Mann gives them a playable defender in that role. The real upside of the deal is Kessler - he's a great shot-blocker who gives them the rim protection of Porzingis. He isn't a shooter, but he can make up for it as a defender and rebounder. While the Celtics will have to give him an extension, he is only 23 years old and could be the starting center in Boston for a long time. They also maintain a 2025 first-round pick and actually have a higher selection because the Lakers selection is ahead of theirs.

Why the Celtics do not do this trade: Mann doesn't bring the shooting upside to immediately fit into Boston's lineup - he's a career 37.2% shooter on only 2.1 attempts per game. He also isn't an elite defender and his contract may outweigh what he actually brings to the lineup. Kessler also needs a new contract, so the Celtics will need to work that out with him ahead of time despite being under financial restrictions. If he walks and they aren't able to get a ring out of it, this deal looks like a failure.

Why the Jazz do this deal: The Jazz pick up another first-round pick in a loaded 2025 draft and get a proven shooter in Niang who can bolster the 22nd-best shooting team in the NBA by 3P%. He isn't a great defender, but the Jazz aren't competing for a playoff spot and Niang will help them better evaluate their young prospects. He's also familiar with Utah as he spent four seasons with the team as a role player during the Donovan Mitchell - Rudy Gobert era. Even if the deal doesn't work out, Niang's deal expires at the end of the season with no long-term ramifications.

Why the Jazz do not this deal: There really aren't any obvious downsides to the Jazz doing this deal because Svi does not fit their timeline and Niang is a better shooter. The Boston first-rounder is barely in the first round, so it's unlikely the Jazz are going to get a extremely valuable prospect at that spot. Beyond that, there isn't a strong reason for Utah to forego this move.

Additional Links

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