Welcome again to the Deal or No Deal collection the place we break down if the Celtics ought to deliver again a sure participant for the 2025-26 NBA season. If a participant is beneath “Deal” then the participant shouldn’t be introduced again. If “No Deal” then the participant ought to be introduced again.
The subsequent participant is Kristaps Porzingis. In 42 video games this season, Porzingis put up 19.5 PPG, 6.8 REB, and a pair of.1 AST on 48% capturing from the sector, 41% from three, and 81% from the free throw line.
Coming off the Celtics championship run the place he solely performed in seven playoff video games as a consequence of accidents, Porzingis was set to overlook the beginning of the 2025 season recovering from the harm he sustained within the NBA Finals. When he did come again on November twenty fifth towards the Clippers, everybody was excited to see how Boston would look once more as a completely functioning unit.
This unit didn’t final lengthy. Porzingis can be dominated out with an sickness on February twenty eighth that may lead to him lacking the following seven video games in March. We later discovered that this viral sickness and the submit viral syndrome that adopted would have an effect on his play to some extent that he couldn’t be on the courtroom for greater than two minutes with out struggling to breathe within the Celtics second spherical playoff collection towards the New York Knicks.
Kristaps Porzingis is a really contentious matter in terms of Celtics followers relying on who you ask however most individuals will inform you this season was disappointing to say the least. The shortage of impression on the courtroom within the playoffs began to show folks bitter, however nobody was extra pissed off along with his play than Kristaps himself.
In his exit interview following the Celtics loss in Sport 6, Porzingis was requested how tough the previous few months have been for him. He mentioned, “As irritating as you possibly can think about. Simply to not have the ability to assist this staff extra. Particularly with JT going out, simply not being an excessive amount of of a assist simply hurts deep inside.”
In Brad Stevens’ finish of season interview he echoed an identical assertion when requested about Porzingis’ sickness, saying, “I don’t suppose anyone was extra pissed off than him… I believed he had actually turned a nook there in the direction of the tip of the common season once we went to Madison Sq. Backyard and even within the first spherical after which for no matter purpose, he simply didn’t really feel nearly as good there within the Knicks collection and by no means felt nice.”
Kristaps Porzingis on how irritating it’s been preventing via an sickness:
“Tremendous tremendous irritating. As irritating as you possibly can think about. Simply to not have the ability to assist this staff extra. Particularly with JT going out, simply not being an excessive amount of of a assist simply hurts deep inside.” pic.twitter.com/lU3eZPYswv
— Celtics on CLNS (@CelticsCLNS) Could 17, 2025
Relating to considering of trades for Kristaps Porzingis this summer season, there are a few completely different variables the Celtics are going to need to account for. The primary is well being. Porzingis has a popularity of being harm susceptible all through his total profession and I’m certain opposing groups will marvel what number of video games they’re really going to get out of him.
The second factor is his contract. Porzingis is projected to make somewhat over $30 million subsequent yr and with the Celtics being within the second apron, they need to discover a staff that has sufficient items to match the wage. In response to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, the Warriors are fascinated about a doable Porzingis commerce as they’ve appreciated the thought of him since 2023.
The Warriors lack of property means the spine of a Porzingis to Golden State commerce would more than likely have to incorporate Moses Moody, Buddy Hield, and considered one of Trayce Jackson-Davis or Gui Santos to make the cash work plus perhaps a draft choose. Are the Warriors keen to explode a variety of their depth for a man in Porzingis that isn’t essentially the most dependable?
After laying out the commerce parameters, is there a world the place Porzingis can stay on the Celtics subsequent season? Sure. Porzingis goes into the ultimate yr of his two-year, $60 million extension that Boston gave him after they first traded for him and will likely be an unrestricted free agent within the 2026 offseason. Might Brad Stevens and Celtics administration simply let Porzingis play out his ultimate season in Boston and let him depart for nothing if the commerce packages aren’t fascinating sufficient?
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Picture by Noah Graham/NBAE through Getty Photos
Verdict: Deal
As a lot as I’m a fan of Kristaps Porzingis and can at all times cherish his Sport 1 efficiency within the 2024 Finals, I don’t see a world the place he’s on the Celtics to begin subsequent season. Though his worth is at an all-time low, a variety of groups within the NBA are searching for heart depth, particularly within the Western Convention. The aforementioned Warriors, Lakers, Suns, and lots of extra are searching for a giant man out west, so I really feel assured that Brad Stevens will have the ability to discover a transfer that may assist the Celtics shifting ahead.
Boston can also be specializing in shedding wage and out of their top-five paid gamers on the staff, Porzingis is the one which has produced the least within the final two seasons and it makes essentially the most sense to maneuver off of him. This additionally opens the door for the Celtics to probably deliver again Al Horford and Luke Kornet who’re each free brokers this offseason.
