Celtics reportedly trading Kristaps Porzingis to Hawks in second major move

Zack Cox, Boston Herald on Jun 24, 2025

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BOSTON — Make that two blockbuster trades in less than 24 hours for the Celtics.

One day after Boston shipped guard Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers, ESPN’s Shams Charania on Tuesday reported the team was finalizing a three-team deal to send center Kristaps Porzingis to the Atlanta Hawks.

The Celtics reportedly will receive forward Georges Niang and a second-round pick in the trade, which, in conjunction with the Holiday swap, pushes Boston below the second apron of the NBA’s luxury tax. The third involved team, the Brooklyn Nets, will receive Hawks guard Terrance Mann and Atlanta’s first-round selection (No. 22 overall) in the 2025 NBA draft.

While the Celtics were able to get a quality return in the Holiday trade (26-year-old scorer Anfernee Simons and two second-rounders), the Porzingis move is more of a straight salary dump. The center was set to make $30.7 million on an expiring contract this coming season.

Niang, 32, is an NBA journeyman who’s spent time with five different franchises, plus three G League teams. He appeared in 79 games this season for Cleveland and Atlanta, averaging 9.9 points and 3.4 rebounds per game while making 40.6% of his 3-pointers (5.2 attempts per game). Niang is a career 39.9% shooter from 3-point range.

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