Could the Boston Celtics reunite with Robert Williams by trading Porzingis to Portland?
Could the Boston Celtics reunite with Robert Williams by trading Porzingis to Portland?
Could the Boston Celtics reunite with big man Robert Williams III by trading Kristaps Porzingis to the Portland Trail Blazers? The Celtics have been looking for ways to get cheaper next season as an unprecedented payroll and tax bill will come due during a season star Boston forward Jayson Tatum will miss most or all of with a torn Achilles tendon.
Porzingis has, for better or worse, been one of the names most often cited as a player the Celtics light look to move on from to such an end, and there is a chance that the Blazers could be enticed into a deal sending the Latvian big man to Portland in exchange for the Time Lord. If such a trade were helpful to both teams, what would it actually look like?
The folks behind the "NBC Sports Boston" YouTube channel put together a clip from a recent episode of "Arbella Early Edition" to talk it over. Take a look at the clip embedded below to hear what they had to say about what it might take to get Rob Will back in Boston.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
Gordie Howe's final NHL goal gets a historic change 45 years later
Proponents of video review in hockey argue that they just want to get the call right, no matter how long it takes. Those folks will be happy to know that the NHL's longest scoring review has finally reached a conclusion, and it looks like the league got this one right. It just took 45 years. The review in question was on the final goal — No. 801 — of Gordie Howe's legendary career. Scored on April 9, 1980, for the Hartford Whalers against the Canadiens in the playoffs, Mr. Hockey took a pass from his son, Mark, and beat goaltender Denis Herron to cut Montreal's lead to 8-4. The goal would go down as Howe from Howe. How romantic. Only one problem. The scorer ignored the pass from Whalers goaltender John 'Cheech' Garrett to Mark Howe. 6 Gordie Howe controls the puck before his score. @thirdeyeordie8226/YouTube Garrett, who would play in 207 NHL games before an illustrious career as a broadcaster for the Canucks, didn't initially launch an appeal to the league, but he's been vocal about getting the assist added to his ledger for nearly half a century. In an interview on Sportsnet's 'After Hours' in 2023, Garrett continued his appeal. 6 Goalie John Garrett didn't credit for an assist for 45 years. @thirdeyeordie8226/YouTube 6 Moments before Howe scored. @thirdeyeordie8226/YouTube 'That's a hard pass,' Garrett said in the interview. 'Mark takes it, Mark gives it to Gordie, Gordie scores this beautiful goal. How can I not get an assist on that? I phoned Benny Ercolani — he's now retired, but Benny was the statistician for the league.' Garrett said he didn't complain immediately after the game because of how it would have looked after he conceded eight goals in a loss. But as the years went on, the man known as 'Cheech' used his platform as a broadcaster to raise awareness for his cause. He also had plenty of support from Canucks fans, who launched a social media campaign supporting Garrett's quest back in 2013. 6 John Garrett during a 1982 game. Getty Images All the lobbying has finally paid off. During the second intermission of Game 2 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final, 'Hockey Night in Canada' broadcaster Ron MacLean announced the league was finally awarding Garrett with an assist on Mr. Hockey's final goal. 'Colin Campbell of the NHL has begged all of you former NHLers, please do not be writing the league looking for credit on an assist,' joked MacLean. 'They are adding one to the record books, and this is a beauty.' 'John Garrett was denied official status for this assist. He moves the puck. In the record books, it just has Howe from Mark. It did not feature Cheech's assist. It will, forevermore.' 6 Gordie Howe #9 and Mark Howe #5 of the Hartford Whalers look on against the Montreal Canadiens. NHLI via Getty Images 6 Gordie Howe #9 of the Hartford Whalers skates against the Montreal Canadiens in the 1980's at the Montreal Forum in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. NHLI via Getty Images He concluded: 'It's official, John Garrett, you have an assist on the last goal Mr. Hockey ever scored,' he concluded.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Examining if former Celtics 1st-round pick could have worked in Boston
Aaron Nesmith mostly watched from the Celtics bench back in the 2022 NBA Finals run. The C's took the next step toward competitiveness, but since the wing depth was so deep, Nesmith couldn't consistently crack the rotation. But as Nesmith stars for the Pacers during their 2025 playoffs, there's no denying the forward's impact on the game. Nesmith has developed into a legit rotation player for a Pacers team that's one win away from the NBA Finals. Advertisement He was crucial in their Game 1 win over the Knicks as he caught fire from deep. While Nesmith battled an ankle injury, he's played through it so far. Now, the Pacers are looking to close out the East Finals against the Knicks. Indiana holds a 3-1 series lead with Game 5 set for 8 p.m. Thursday in New York. Now, there are likely Celtics fans wondering if the team could have kept Nesmith considering what he's turned into for the Pacers. But there are a lot of moving parts, so probably not. Plus, in this current timeline, it ended with the Celtics winning the 2024 title so it all worked out for the front office. Nesmith was included in the Malcolm Brogdon deal with the Pacers back in the 2022 offseason. Brogdon ended up just being a one-year piece, though he did win Sixth Man of the Year in the 2022-23 season. More importantly, Brogdon was included in the Jrue Holiday deal with the Trail Blazers. Holiday is in trade rumors now, but there's no denying the guard was a big part of the 2024 title run that ended in a ring. Also, Nesmith was allowed to grow into his own when he got to Indiana. The Pacers went 35-47 in 2022-23. Nesmith played 73 games (60 starts) that year, getting consistent playing time for the first time in his career. The Celtics, on the flip side, didn't have minutes like that available fresh off the NBA Finals appearance as they had their eyes on Banner No. 18 at the time. The C's took Nesmith at 14th overall in the 2020 draft as he played his first two seasons in Boston. Advertisement So, it all worked out for both sides. The Pacers got Nesmith in the Brogdon deal while the Celtics eventually got the title (including beating Indiana in the 2024 East Finals). Nesmith, especially, proved that he's a bonafide NBA player as he's enjoyed a stellar playoff run. He's averaging 15.1 points and 6.0 rebounds in 14 playoff games, shooting an eye-popping 51.9% on his 3-pointers. The Pacers look like a team that will continue to be a problem in the East, though, with star guard Tyrese Haliburton leading the way. They've made the East Finals the past two years, plus they're on the edge of making their first NBA Finals appearance since 2000 and just their second-time ever. Nesmith figures to be part of the future in Indiana as he's signed through the 2026-27 season on an affordable $11 million salary. More Celtics content Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Danny Ainge's final Boston Celtics draft class helped pave way to title
While the 2020 NBA Draft was remote in the middle of the pandemic, it ended up being an important night for the Celtics. That was also then-Boston president Danny Ainge's final draft class for the C's as he nailed a couple first-round picks. He then made way for Brad Stevens a few months later. Turns out, those picks were huge for the Celtics to help them win the 2024 NBA title. Back then, the C's selected Aaron Nesmith at No. 14 and Payton Pritchard at No. 26 in the first round. They also traded away the pick that became Desmond Bane, along with taking Yam Madar in the second round. Advertisement But the two draft picks in Nesmith and Pritchard became big hits, especially considering where they were taken. Pritchard enjoyed a breakout 2024-25 season, being named the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year. Notably, he became a key part of the rotation this season as a playoff contributor. Plus, his four-year, $30 million contract is one of the best value deals in the league. Nesmith also showcased how good he can be as he helped the Pacers stun the Knicks in Game 1 of the East Finals. The Vanderbilt product couldn't get consistent playing time on a crowded Celtics roster as he was part of the 2022 NBA Finals run. But Nesmith was also a part in landing Malcolm Brogdon from the Pacers back in the 2022 offseason. While Brogdon only spent one season with the Celtics, also earning Sixth Man of the Year honors, his contract was also important. Brogdon was part of the trade package sent to the Trail Blazers to get Jrue Holiday, who had just been traded from the Bucks. Holiday, of course, was an integral member of the 2024 NBA title run. So, it took a few steps, but the C's benefited as they got to their ultimate goal of Banner No. 18. Nesmith struggled to get playing time in Boston, but he's now a starting piece for the Indiana operation. He's averaging 16.0 points and 6.1 rebounds in 11 playoff games, including shooting 53.8% on his 3-pointers. Nesmith is also an energy guy as that's been evident during this Pacers run to the East Finals and perhaps beyond. Advertisement Pritchard figures to be part of the Celtics for the foreseeable future. He proved last season that he can impact the game on a nightly basis and in a playoff setting. The C's will look to offload salary this summer to cut down on costs, so Pritchard could see his role expand depending on what moves the front office makes this summer. So, Ainge's final draft class ended up helping the Celtics significantly now five years later. Of course, drafting Jaylen Brown then Jayson Tatum in back-to-back years laid the foundation for years to come. But one of his lesser-known draft classes, in a couple solid picks, also helped along the way. More Celtics content Read the original article on MassLive.
