Report: Washington Wizards, Boston Celtics, Memphis Grizzlies finalizing three-team trade involving Kristaps Porzingis
It took a while, but it appears to be happening. The Washington Wizards and Boston Celtics are close to a deal centered around Kristaps Porzingis and Marcus Smart, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported late Wednesday — and a new team is part of the deal.
The Wizards are preparing to send Porzingis to the Celtics in a deal that also includes the Memphis Grizzlies, who will send Tyus Jones to Washington as a result, Wojnarowski reported. Smart will head to Memphis as part of the agreement, according to Wojnarowski.
The Grizzlies are also sending the No. 25 overall pick in Thursday’s draft to the Celtics, Wojnarowski said, in addition to a 2024 first-round pick via the Golden State Warriors. Washington will also receive the No. 35 overall pick on Thursday from Boston, as well as Danilo Gallinari and Mike Muscala.
Talks of a trade went on throughout the day and it appeared a three-team deal was in the works. The Los Angeles Clippers would’ve been the third team and Washington was planning to receive the No. 30 overall pick in Thursday’s NBA Draft, The Athletic & Stadium’s Shams Charania reported. However, talks fell through, leading to questions about the possibility of a trade happening at all.
The most surprising part of the trade might be Smart, who won the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2022 and is a three-time All-Defense Team selection. This past season, he averaged 11.5 points, 6.3 assists and 1.5 steals per game to help anchor the Celtics defense.
Porzingis will have to opt in to his $36 million contract to make it happen, and he seems willing to do so as he makes his way to Boston. He’s been a bit of a journeyman over the years after the New York Knicks drafted him No. 4 overall in the 2015 NBA Draft. He also played for the Dallas Mavericks before arriving in Washington ahead of the 2021-22 season.
This past season, Porzingis averaged 23.2 points and 8.4 rebounds per game in 65 appearances for the Wizards in what turned out to be his final season in D.C.
This is the latest step in the Wizards’ plans to rebuild this coming season. They also sent star guard Bradley Beal to the Phoenix Suns earlier this week, receiving a package that included Chris Paul and Landry Shamet in addition to draft capital and pick swaps. It’s unclear if Paul will stay in Washington or if the Wizards will try to find a third team for the deal so he can play for a contender.