Celtics were reportedly Kristaps Porzingis’s preferred location, but Jazz’s rumored interest in him pressured completion of trade
The Jazz reportedly were "poised" to make Porzingis a rich offer in free agency if he opted out of his contract before his trade to the Celtics.
Kristaps Porzingis was never technically a free agent, but he still had a hand in picking his next destination.
The Celtics were the preferred destination of the 7-foot-3 big man prior to the trade, Substack’s Marc Stein reported Saturday.
But in order for Porzingis to join the Celtics, there was only one uncomplicated path. He had to accept his $36 million player option for the 2023-24 season by the end of the day Wednesday and bypass becoming a free agent this offseason, where he could’ve received a multi-year deal.
In fact, it appears that Porzingis would’ve had at least one strong suitor vying for his services. The Utah Jazz were “poised” to make a strong offer to Porzingis if he declined his player option to become an unrestricted free agent, multiple teams reportedly told Stein.
“The threat of losing Porzingis without compensation appears to have been sufficiently credible to add some momentum to the Wizards’ determination to finalize a trade agreement to beat that deadline and ensure they would not lose the 7-foot-3 Latvian without compensation after the draft,” Stein wrote of the situation.
Completing the trade to bring Porzingis to Boston wasn’t easy. The Celtics and Wizards reportedly had an agreement in place with the Clippers on a three-team deal that would’ve sent Malcolm Brogdon to Los Angeles. However, that deal fizzled roughly two hours prior to Porzingis’s deadline to pick up his player option before the clock struck midnight on Wednesday.
So, the Celtics and Wizards went to the backup deal they put in place with the Grizzlies earlier in the day, according to The Boston Globe’s Adam Himmelsbach. That deal caused the Celtics to depart with their longest-tenured player, sending Marcus Smart to Memphis as part of the deal. The Wizards got Danilo Gallinari, Mike Muscala, and a second-round pick from the Celtics plus Tyus Jones from the Grizzlies, getting players and picks they never would’ve received had Porzingis signed a deal with the Jazz.
Stein noted that while the Jazz presumably have their frontcourt set for the foreseeable future with All-Star Lauri Markkanen and now-second-year center Walker Kessler, they could also have anywhere between $47 million and $73 million in cap space this offseason.
While Porzingis’s contract is set to expire following the 2023-24 season, it also appears that he’ll be in Boston beyond that. The Celtics are “strongly expected” to give Porzingis a two-year extension later this offseason, Stein reported Saturday, reiterating his report from Wednesday. The maximum extension that Porzingis will be eligible to sign in July is a two-year, $77 million deal.
Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens expressed a desire to extend Porzingis when he spoke to reporters following the NBA Draft on Thursday.
“We hope so,” Stevens said when asked about an extension. “You know, we’ll see how that stuff all works itself out.”
Stevens also praised Porzingis’s game.
“He’s a guy that we think can certainly be a really good player,” Stevens said. “He’s been a really good player this far and has only gotten better. I think to me, that’s the part that really stands out.
“Sometimes when you’re the fourth pick in the draft and get all these accolades and all this attention and all these eyes and you’re going through your growth process, there’s some ups and downs. But he’s at a point where he’s starting to, I think, really play at his best I’ve seen. So we hope [to get an extension done].”
Porzingis, 27, scored a career-best 23.2 points per game last season, his eighth-year in the league.
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com