Celtics complete predraft salary dumps with Kristaps Porzingis trade

Kristaps Porzingis was a crucial part of the Celtics' title team, but injuries and a mysterious illness limited his availability in last year's playoffs. Now he's headed to the Atlanta Hawks in a three-team deal that saves the Celtics $22.5M on next year's payroll and gives the Hawks a replacement for free-agent center Clint Capela.

It's the second tax-saving move in as many days for the Celtics, who sent Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers for Anfernee Simons Monday in a deal that saves them $4.7M next year and $72M in the two following seasons. Simons will slide in as Holiday's replacement next season, but dealing Porzingis leaves the Celtics shallow in the frontcourt, where 39-year-old Al Horford and Luke Kornet are the remaining center options.

While he's not a center, Georges Niang does fit in well with the Celtics' three-point-heavy offensive approach. Niang, nicknamed "The Minivan," is a career 40.6 percent three-point shooter who made 2.7 threes per game after a midseason trade to the Hawks last season.

These trades have certainly made Boston worse, but without Tatum, the Celtics might not have considered themselves title contenders anyway. If they aren't, there's no reason to remain a second-apron team, with all of the tax penalties and restrictions that come with it.

Now the Celtics are below the second apron and may be done shedding rotation players. Unless they decide they want to get out of the luxury tax entirely.