Undrafted Rookie Included in Recent Trade Between Celtics, Jazz

This follows a flurry of offseason moves for both teams, as Boston traded Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday, while Utah dished out Collin Sexton and reached a buyout with Jordan Clarkson. Both teams should look much different in 2025-26, as the Jazz and Celtics incorporate new pieces into their rotation.

Luis missed multiple Summer League contests while dealing with a knee injury, but likely impressed Boston during the pre-draft process. Moving on from Niang was seemingly part of Boston's strategy to dump salary by moving on from older players and bringing in unproven prospects.

Instead of bringing back veteran big men like Porzingis or Luke Kornet, for example, the group will turn to Neemias Queta, Luka Garza and 2025 second-round pick Amari Williams this year. In the team's most recent trade, the Celtics were able to move on from a 32-year-old wing who will cost significantly more money than Luis, a 22-year-old.

Niang averaged 9.9 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists while shooting 46.1% from the field and 40.6% from 3-point range on more than five attempts per game. During his final year at St. John's, Ruis put up 18.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, two assists and 1.4 steals per game.

At the NBA Combine, Luis measured 6-foot-5 and three quarters of an inch without shoes to go along with a 6-foot-10 and half an inch wingspan.

The move also gives Boston the opportunity to commit to player exploration of the younger pieces on its roster. With Niang no longer on the team, Boston should be able to give Luis, and other young wings, more minutes to see if they can develop into long-term contributors.

With superstar Jayson Tatum sidelined for a significant period of time after rupturing his achilles during a postseason series against the New York Knicks, the Celtics don't seem to have any plans to compete for a title in 2025-26. Instead, the team has focused on positioning themselves well in the upcoming draft class.

Replacing Niang with Luis not only gives Boston another young wing prospect, but it also likely puts the team in an even better position to earn a top pick in 2026.