Why the Celtics basically traded Kristaps Porziņģis for an undrafted rookie
Considering that the Celtics are not expected to content for a championship without Tatum available next season, Boston's front office has decided to shed salary to avoid the restrictive penalties of the second apron. They traded Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers for Anfernee Simons, and traded Kristaps Porziņģis to the Atlanta Hawks for Georges Niang.
Holiday was owed $32.4 million next season while Simons is owed $27.6 million. Porziņģis was owed $30.7 million while Niang is owed $8.8 million. The Celtics will reportedly flip Niang (and two future second-round picks) to the Utah Jazz, per ESPN's Shams Charania, for undrafted rookie R.J. Luis (who is on a two-way deal).
If that sounds like the Celtics got ripped off, allow us to explain why they decided to make this decision.
More: Celtics are a cautionary tale of pre-mature dynasty crowning after recent trades
Holiday and Porziņģis were valuable players for Boston when they won the 2024 NBA Championship.
But unlikely to win one next season, it made sense for the Celtics to do everything they could to avoid the second apron. The Celtics trimmed $4.6 million from their expenses by swapping Holiday for Simons and cut considerably more by moving Porziņģis for Niang.
It wasn't quite enough, though, and so a subsequent move was necessary. Still in the second apron, the Jazz were then able to fully absorb Niang's contract by using a trade exception acquired in the John Collins deal earlier this summer. This cut Boston's luxury tax bill from $73.1 million to $30.4 million, per ESPN's Bobby Marks.
They have reduced roster expenses by approximately $286 million by trading Holiday and Porziņģis, according to salary cap expert Yossi Gozlan.
With a roster spot opened by Niang's departure, the Celtics were then able to reportedly sign free agent Chris Boucher to a $3.3 million contract for the veteran minimum. So rather than pay Porziņģis a hefty price tag of $30.7 million as their stretch big, they attached a couple second-round picks for Boucher to take on that role instead at one-tenth of the price.
They also got a look at Luis, one of the top undrafted free agents, in the process. Not bad!
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