Celtics acquire Kristaps Porzingis from Wizards, trade Marcus Smart to Grizzlies in 3-team deal: Reports
The Washington Wizards have agreed to trade Kristaps Porzingis to the Boston Celtics as part of a three-team trade that also sees Marcus Smart head to the Memphis Grizzlies, two people with knowledge of the deal said Thursday morning.
The people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the arrangements had not been announced. The trade comes with Porzingis accepting his player option for next season.
The deal also sees the Grizzlies acquire Smart, the 2022 defensive player of the year, from Boston in exchange for first-round draft picks in 2023 and 2024. ESPN reported that the Wizards will also receive guard Tyus Jones from Memphis, and forwards Mike Muscala. and Danilo Gallinari and this year a second pick from Boston.
Here is @wojespn with the latest trade between the Celtics, Grizz and Wizards pic.twitter.com/wFKVpZMz6n
The Celtics added the six-foot twenty-three Porzingis after losing to Miami in seven games in the Eastern Conference Finals. Porzingis is having a solid season in Washington, averaging a career-high 23.2 points per game along with 8.4 rebounds. Most importantly, he remained healthy enough to play in 66 games, his most since 2016/17 when he played with the New York Knicks.
Porzingis’ departure completes a rapid breakup of Washington’s core after the Wizards agreed to trade Bradley Beal to Phoenix and Kyle Kuzma declined his option. Washington has missed the playoffs for the past two seasons and is now clearly in a rebuilding mode under new team president Michael Winger.
Smart brings much-needed experience to a young Memphis team that needs help at point guard following the announcement of Ja Morant’s 25-game suspension for next season. Smart also brings postseason experience to the Grizzlies, who have been unable to win a single playoff series over the past two seasons despite finishing second in the West.
The Celtics reached the NBA Finals in 2022, but failed to come back this season despite their talented tandem of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
Boston will be Porzingis’ fourth NBA team. Drafted by New York in 2015 with the fourth overall pick, he played three seasons with the Knicks before being traded to Dallas before the deadline in 2019 – when he was recovering from knee surgery. The Wizards acquired him from Dallas 16 months ago.
