Deal or No Deal: Kristaps Porzingis

Welcome again to the Deal or No Deal collection the place we break down if the Celtics ought to deliver again a sure participant for the 2025-26 NBA season. If a participant is below “Deal” then the participant shouldn’t be introduced again. If “No Deal” then the participant ought to be introduced again.

The following participant is Kristaps Porzingis. In 42 video games this season, Porzingis put up 19.5 PPG, 6.8 REB, and a couple of.1 AST on 48% capturing from the sector, 41% from three, and 81% from the free throw line.

Coming off the Celtics championship run the place he solely performed in seven playoff video games on account of accidents, Porzingis was set to overlook the beginning of the 2025 season recovering from the damage he sustained within the NBA Finals. When he did come again on November twenty fifth in opposition to the Clippers, everybody was excited to see how Boston would look once more as a totally functioning unit.

This unit didn’t final lengthy. Porzingis could be dominated out with an sickness on February twenty eighth that will end in him lacking the subsequent seven video games in March. We later discovered that this viral sickness and the submit viral syndrome that adopted would have an effect on his play to some extent that he couldn’t be on the courtroom for greater than two minutes with out struggling to breathe within the Celtics second spherical playoff collection in opposition to the New York Knicks.

Kristaps Porzingis is a really contentious subject relating to Celtics followers relying on who you ask however most individuals will let you know this season was disappointing to say the least. The dearth of influence on the courtroom within the playoffs began to show individuals bitter, however nobody was extra annoyed along with his play than Kristaps himself.

In his exit interview following the Celtics loss in Recreation 6, Porzingis was requested how tough the previous couple of months have been for him. He mentioned, “As irritating as you’ll be able to think about. Simply to not be capable to assist this workforce extra. Particularly with JT going out, simply not being an excessive amount of of a assist simply hurts deep inside.”

In Brad Stevens’ finish of season interview he echoed an identical assertion when requested about Porzingis’ sickness, saying, “I don’t assume anyone was extra annoyed than him… I believed he had actually turned a nook there in direction of the top of the common season once we went to Madison Sq. Backyard and even within the first spherical after which for no matter purpose, he simply didn’t really feel nearly as good there within the Knicks collection and by no means felt nice.”

With regards to considering of trades for Kristaps Porzingis this summer time, there are a few completely different variables the Celtics are going to should account for. The primary is well being. Porzingis has a status of being damage inclined all through his whole profession and I’m positive opposing groups will surprise what number of video games they’re really going to get out of him.

The second factor is his contract. Porzingis is projected to make slightly over $30 million subsequent 12 months and with the Celtics being within the second apron, they should discover a workforce that has sufficient items to match the wage. In keeping with Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, the Warriors are curious about a doable Porzingis commerce as they’ve appreciated the thought of him since 2023.

The Warriors lack of property means the spine of a Porzingis to Golden State commerce would probably have to incorporate Moses Moody, Buddy Hield, and one in every of Trayce Jackson-Davis or Gui Santos to make the cash work plus possibly a draft choose. Are the Warriors keen to explode plenty of their depth for a man in Porzingis that isn’t essentially the most dependable?

After laying out the commerce parameters, is there a world the place Porzingis can stay on the Celtics subsequent season? Sure. Porzingis goes into the ultimate 12 months of his two-year, $60 million extension that Boston gave him after they first traded for him and will likely be an unrestricted free agent within the 2026 offseason. Might Brad Stevens and Celtics administration simply let Porzingis play out his ultimate season in Boston and let him depart for nothing if the commerce packages usually are not fascinating sufficient?

Verdict: Deal

As a lot as I’m a fan of Kristaps Porzingis and can all the time cherish his Recreation 1 efficiency within the 2024 Finals, I don’t see a world the place he’s on the Celtics to start out subsequent season. Though his worth is at an all-time low, plenty of groups within the NBA are in search of middle depth, particularly within the Western Convention. The aforementioned Warriors, Lakers, Suns, and lots of extra are in search of a giant man out west, so I really feel assured that Brad Stevens will be capable to discover a transfer that may assist the Celtics transferring ahead.

Boston can be specializing in shedding wage and out of their top-five paid gamers on the workforce, Porzingis is the one which has produced the least within the final two seasons and it makes essentially the most sense to maneuver off of him. This additionally opens the door for the Celtics to doubtlessly deliver again Al Horford and Luke Kornet who’re each free brokers this offseason.