After a disappointing second-round loss and Jayson Tatum‘s devastating Achilles injury, the Boston Celtics are facing major roster changes this offseason. This is in large part due to their historic payroll. Big man Kristaps Porziņģis is one of the most likely players to be on the move. His expiring $30 million contract and lengthy injury history make him a clear trade candidate. Porziņģis is coming off a disappointing playoffs where he was battling the aftereffects of a mysterious illness. While his value might be low, Boston’s division rival, the Brooklyn Nets, seems like the perfect team to buy low on Porziņģis.
Ideal Kristaps Porziņģis Trade Destination is Hiding in Plain Sight
Why the Nets are a Logical Landing Spot for Porziņģis
Heading into the offseason, Brooklyn has an absurd projected $55 million in cap space. A good amount of this will likely be used to re-sign Cam Thomas. However, they’ll still have plenty of money to spend, especially if they end up trading Cam Johnson. The under-discussed part about having a lot of cap space is having to reach the cap floor. As a result of needing to meet this payroll minimum, the Nets could have to overpay for young free agents or their own free agents like D’Angelo Russell and Day’Ron Sharpe. While it’s typically worth it for a rebuilding team to take a flyer on young players, this free agent class is weak. The Chicago Bulls will likely match any offer for Josh Giddey. Jonathan Kuminga has been linked to the Nets, but signing him to a big contract comes with tons of risk.
Taking on Porziņģis while risky given his injury history would could come in a salary dump move, making it worth it for the Nets. Additionally, the Nets could even get a second-round pick or something similar to take on Porziņģis. In this scenario, Brooklyn could also open up more money for a 2026 free agent class that has more upside. It’s also worth noting that while Porziņģis is risky, he also has plenty of upside and could rejuvenate his career with the Nets.
Before the playoffs, Porziņģis’ trade value wasn’t this low by any means. In the regular season, Porziņģis averaged 19.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.5 blocks. At his best, Porziņģis is an elite interior defender who can also space the floor and score around the rim. To add fuel to the fire, The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie recently pitched the Nets as a landing spot for Porziņģis on the Game Theory Podcast.
The Nets Could Save the Day for the Celtics
If the Nets are interested in Porziņģis, it would greatly benefit the Celtics’ unprecedented cap situation. Currently, the Celtics are deep in the second apron with a combined payroll and tax penalty bill nearing $500 million. Their payroll of $231 million is well above the second apron limit of $207.8 million. Moving off a $30 million contract in a salary dump move would help the Celtics get under the second apron.
Crucially, the Nets appear to be the only team capable of taking on Porziņģis’ contract in a pure salary dump scenario. While this move wouldn’t give the Celtics much win-now talent, it would tremendously help their cap situation. Ultimately, Brad Stevens and the Celtics should pursue a Porziņģis trade with Brooklyn.
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