Kristaps Porzingis expected Celtics to trade him to West team before Hawks deal
The former Celtics big man spoke to Latvia's Sports Studja in an interview this week in his first public comments after Boston traded him away as part of a three-team deal to the Atlanta Hawks for Georges Niang.
'After the season, I spoke to my agent and kind of expected that one or more of us would be traded,' Porzingis said via a translation on BasketNews. 'For a while, I thought I might end up with the Spurs, but then Atlanta came in—and that was a nice surprise. It was out of my hands.'
In a bit of a twist, another one of Porzingis' ex-teammates (Luke Kornet) ended up with the Spurs instead once the Hawks landed Porzingis in the June trade. Boston cut tens of millions in salary and luxury tax penalities from their payroll next season by bringing back a much smaller salary ($8.2 million) in Niang. The power forward may end up being on the move again in the upcoming months if the team tries to reduce more salary from the payroll.
Porzingis is set to make his return to the court in EuroBasket this summer for Latvia after recovering from a post-viral condition that impacted him during Boston's playoff run in May.
'In June, I fully rested and lowered the intensity. All of that has gone away,' he said. 'I haven't felt any of the playoff symptoms anymore. I feel great and ready to join the national team. Super happy.'
Porzingis is projected to be a backup center for the Hawks as he enters a contract year making $30.7 million for a revamped Hawks roster. The team is expected to have Jalen Johnson back healthy and also made key upgrades on the wing with Nickel Alexander-Walker and Luke Kennard in hopes of making some noise in a wide open Eastern Conference. The former Celtics big man is optimistic about the team's chances in his new home.
'I think expectations are high. Atlanta's been on the edge of the playoffs the last few years, sometimes getting through the first round,' Porzingis said. 'It's a great situation for me to come in and contribute. Maybe even better than Boston, where it was championship or bust.'
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