The Boston Celtics traded Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trailblazers on Monday, potentially serving as the first domino to fall in what should be an offseason full of change for the team.
With Jrue Holiday out of the frame, and Jayson Tatum on the shelf for most, if not all of, next season, the Celtics could start to explore trade options for Kristaps Porzingis, according to a report from ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel.
“The next order of business in Boston is trading Kristaps Porzingis,” Siegel said. “As he enters the final year of his contract, Porzingis has drawn interest from several teams in both conferences. The Pelicans, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, Atlanta Hawks, and Toronto Raptors are a few of the 10-12 teams that have been in contact with the Celtics on Porzingis and others.”
Porzingis is slated to make roughly $31 million next season in the final year of his current deal. He was traded to the Celtics in the 2023 offseason, and has averaged 19.8 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game in two seasons with the Celtics including 2024’s run to the championship.
Porzingis has dealt with health issues and inconsistencies throughout his Celtics tenure, which were very apparent during the playoffs this past season. Dealing with an illness for the majority of the postseason, Porzingis was very limited, only averaging 7.7 points and 4.6 rebounds per game in 11 appearances, four of which came off the bench with minute restrictions.
