Should Hawks be concerned with Kristaps Porzingis playing in FIBA Eurobasket 2025?

The Hawks made several notable offseason acquisitions, and perhaps the most valuable one isn’t even on the team this year —  the more favorable *unprotected* first-round pick of the Pelicans and Bucks. Of course, the most valuable offseason acquisition that will be on the team is Kristaps Porzingis.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker certainly deserves recognition because his impact will go far beyond the box score, especially with a defensive liability in Trae Young leading the team, but Porzingis could be the best player that Young has ever played with.

The only thing stopping the 7-foot-2 Latvian is injuries. Porzingis played 42 games this season, marking his lowest regular-season total since 2021, missing the first 17 games of this season while recovering from an ankle injury.

Over the last four seasons, he’s averaged less than 54 games per year, and the Hawks should be worried about injuries this season. Jalen Johnson hasn’t been able to stay healthy, and if Porzingis goes down for an extended amount of time, the front court’s depth will be incredibly thin as the roster is currently constructed.

All of this leads me to a thought: why in the hell would the Hawks be okay with Kristaps Porzingis playing in the upcoming FIBA Eurobasket?

He’s going to play for the Latvian National Team, and it’s commendable, but an injury-prone seven-footer who is approaching 30 years old only has so many miles left on his tires. The Hawks have every right to urge him not to participate.

Of course, he’s only under team control for one more season. However, if the Hawks want to extend him, they’d surely do so after the FIBA tournament, and as John Hollinger recently revealed, the club could wait for an in-season extension to see how the duo of Kristaps Porzingis and Trae Young look together before committing long term.