NBA insider floats new Kristaps Porzingis offseason possibility
Soon, the Celtics will start making deals to shed salary off their roster. But until then, there will be plenty of rumors and speculation. Some C's have already found themselves in trade rumors, like Jrue Holiday, Sam Hauser or Kristaps Porzingis.
Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix floated over a new Porzingis possibility that doesn't necessarily have to be a trade. In an appearance on the KOC Show, Mannix explained some of the latest intel he's heard when it comes to the big man.
Advertisement
'I've also heard, 'We're going to nibble around the fringes,'' Mannix said of the Celtics. 'If you want Jrue Holiday, you can have him. Porzingis, I think is available, but they'd like to get Porzingis back long-term at a lower price point on his next deal.'
Keeping Porzingis is an interesting scenario. The big man currently has one year and $30.7 million on his contract, so he's an expiring deal when it comes to a hypothetical trade. When the Celtics dealt for him from the Wizards two summers ago, he inked a two-year, $60 million extension.
Porzingis' availability issues have popped up consistently over his two seasons with the Celtics. He didn't play much during the 2024 title run and missed the first month of the 2024-25 season due to offseason foot surgery. Plus, his viral illness slowed him down significantly in the second round against the Knicks.
When Porzingis is healthy, he's a force. He averaged 19.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 42 regular-season games. It's just that the healthy part has been an issue throughout his career. Other teams know that, too, which is likely why Porzingis' trade value isn't as high despite his talent.
Advertisement
So, if Porzingis' value is low on the market, the C's could hope he can rehab that image by being healthy next season. When Porzingis is on, he's a tantalizing player with the way he can stretch the floor and protect the rim. If the big man signs an affordable extension and he's playing well, the team could also offload him for more value later.
The Celtics could go a number of different directions this summer with their roster. But what they will need to do is clear up the payroll as they'll likely take a step back next season. How they go about doing that is the question, and keeping Porzingis for the longer-term could be on the table.
More Celtics content
Read the original article on MassLive.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
5 hours ago
- USA Today
Writer suggests the Lakers should sign Clippers wing in free agency
Writer suggests the Lakers should sign Clippers wing in free agency In addition to help at the center position, the Los Angeles Lakers need help at the wing position. Their lack of perimeter defense was exposed in this year's NBA playoffs versus the Minnesota Timberwolves, and they will need to get creative with their limited resources. That means making good use of their mid-level exception, especially if they're unable to use it on a center. Unless LeBron James opts out of his current contract and takes a significant pay cut, the Lakers will only have the taxpayer mid-level exception of roughly $5.7 million. But that may be enough for a player at the wing position who will become a legitimate part of their rotation. Austin Veazey of Sports Illustrated suggested that they make an attempt to sign Amir Coffey away from the Los Angeles Clippers. Via Sports Illustrated: "One player the Lakers could look to target is LA Clippers wing Amir Coffey," Veazey wrote. "When you have playmakers and scorers as talented as [Luka] Dončić and LeBron James, surrounding them with shooting and positional versatility matters. Coffey is coming off his best season in his six years in the NBA, averaging a career-high 9.7 points per game in 72 appearances while shooting 40.9 percent from 3 on 3.4 attempts per game. "With Coffey listed at 6-foot-7, he can slot in about anywhere on the wing, and shouldn't be too expensive. He's coming off a three-year, $11 million contract extension with the Clippers and should be gettable for around the same price, despite being mentioned as one of the top available small forwards in free agency." It is very unlikely the Lakers could count on Coffey becoming a starter for them. But he could provide some serviceable minutes off the bench, especially if Dorian Finney-Smith, who can opt out of his contract this summer, leaves, or they trade Rui Hachimura in order to land a more important piece. Coffey, who will turn 28 years of age on Tuesday, has become a regular part of the Clippers' rotation over the last few years after going undrafted in 2019. He started to prove he could play during the 2021-22 season when Kawhi Leonard was out with an ACL injury by averaging 9.0 points in 22.7 minutes a game and hitting 37.8% of his 3-point attempts that season. He made $3.9 million this season, and his contract is about to expire.
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
Paul Pierce on guarding Kobe Bryant: 'I saw Jordan's reflection'
Late Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant was a persistent dream come true for countless fans of the franchise. He helped lead the Lakers to five NBA championships and had numerous moments of transcendent individual personal greatness that no one will ever forget. But for players and fans of other teams, he was a frightening nightmare. While no athlete has ever been truly unstoppable, Bryant reduced many defenders to rubble throughout his 20-year career. Advertisement When he faced the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals in 2008 and 2010, Paul Pierce spent time trying to guard him. Pierce admitted on Fox Sports 1's "Speak" how difficult it was for him to go up against the "Black Mamba." "If I had to sum it up in one word -- just one word -- facing Kobe was stressful," Pierce said. "... It was hard to get sleep because now you going against the Mamba -- the second coming of [Michael] Jordan. I idolized, but when I saw and looked at Mamba's eyes, I saw Jordan's reflection. "... This guy, he just showed us he could go for 60 in a half." Pierce's Celtics got the best of Bryant and the Lakers by winning the 2008 title in six games. But after defeating the Orlando Magic in the 2009 finals, the Lakers went up against the Celtics again in the 2010 championship series, and this time, they prevailed in seven games. Even when Bryant shot poorly versus Boston — and he certainly had some bad shooting games in the finals versus Boston — he kept coming and remained aggressive. Simply the fact that he continued to attack offensively put pressure on whoever was trying to guard him. This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Paul Pierce on guarding Kobe Bryant: 'I saw Jordan's reflection'
USA Today
7 hours ago
- USA Today
Paul Pierce on guarding Kobe Bryant: 'I saw Jordan's reflection'
Paul Pierce on guarding Kobe Bryant: 'I saw Jordan's reflection' Late Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant was a persistent dream come true for countless fans of the franchise. He helped lead the Lakers to five NBA championships and had numerous moments of transcendent individual personal greatness that no one will ever forget. But for players and fans of other teams, he was a frightening nightmare. While no athlete has ever been truly unstoppable, Bryant reduced many defenders to rubble throughout his 20-year career. When he faced the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals in 2008 and 2010, Paul Pierce spent time trying to guard him. Pierce admitted on Fox Sports 1's "Speak" how difficult it was for him to go up against the "Black Mamba." "If I had to sum it up in one word -- just one word -- facing Kobe was stressful," Pierce said. "... It was hard to get sleep because now you going against the Mamba -- the second coming of [Michael] Jordan. I idolized, but when I saw and looked at Mamba's eyes, I saw Jordan's reflection. "... This guy, he just showed us he could go for 60 in a half." Pierce's Celtics got the best of Bryant and the Lakers by winning the 2008 title in six games. But after defeating the Orlando Magic in the 2009 finals, the Lakers went up against the Celtics again in the 2010 championship series, and this time, they prevailed in seven games. Even when Bryant shot poorly versus Boston — and he certainly had some bad shooting games in the finals versus Boston — he kept coming and remained aggressive. Simply the fact that he continued to attack offensively put pressure on whoever was trying to guard him.
