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Former Boston Celtics forward criticizes Kristaps Porzingis
With the Celtics in the thick of trade rumors, just about everyone seemingly has an opinion on what Boston's front office should do this summer. The C's are looking to shed salary off their payroll, so the roster will look different. It's just a question of who exactly could be moved and what return the Celtics will get in any trades.
Marcus Morris Sr. was blunt when asked about the Celtics' future on an appearance on Yahoo! Sports' "Good Word With Goodwill." The former C's forward made it clear what he thinks about current big man Kristaps Porzingis, specifically. Morris played for the Celtics from 2017-19, playing in a total of 832 career NBA games.
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'I don't think they need any major changes,' Morris said. 'I'm going to be candid because I'm on the media's side. Porzingis is not a Celtic. Porzingis doesn't embody what they need from him. That's not no knock to him; I know he has injuries. I think you definitely dangle him to see what you can get. But I don't think you can get that much, to be honest, the way this league is going on.'
Porzingis has played the past two seasons in Boston, and while he's shown his otherworldly talent, he just hasn't been consistently healthy. That was again the case publicly during the East semifinals against the Knicks. Porzingis was bogged down significantly by his illness during the series as the Celtics were upset in six games.
Porzingis is one guy who could be moved this summer, though it also depends on what the Celtics could get back for him. While the C's know about his injury history, so does the rest of the league. With one year and $30.7 million left on his contract, it remains to be seen what teams are willing to give up for the talented big man.
The Celtics are also shopping other names like Jrue Holiday and Sam Hauser, while potentially listening to offers for some of their core guys. That's part of the uncertainty when it comes to this summer as, depending on the haul, a key piece could be unexpectedly traded. But, for now, the Celtics front office is doing their due diligence ahead of the 2025 NBA Draft.
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'Jrue Holiday, I feel like Jrue still has a ton of years left in him,' Morris said. 'Wherever Jrue goes, he's still going to be able to help a team. The things he brings to the team is unmatched. Defensively, scoring, being able to guard multiple positions. I'm a little skeptical about trading the Jrue thing, but I know they just kind of want to open their books. They got a lot of money on the books.'
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