The Boston Celtics, Washington Wizards, and Memphis Grizzlies have entered a three-team trade that sent center Kristaps Porzingis to the Celtics, guard Marcus Smart to the Grizzlies, and guard Tyus Jones to the Wizards.
The deal also included Memphis sending Boston its first-round pick in Thursday’s draft — the 25th overall selection — as well as the Golden State Warriors’ top-four-protected first-round pick in 2024.
While the Celtics will send the 35th pick in Thursday’s draft to Washington. The Celtics will also trade forward Danilo Gallinari and center Mike Muscala to Washington as part of the deal.
According to sources to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the three-team deal came together minutes before a midnight ET deadline for Porzingis to opt into his $36 million player option for the 2023-24 season – which he did.
Celtics and Wizards had initially tried to strike the three-team agreement with the LA Clippers that would have seen Malcolm Brogdon sent to Los Angeles, the 30th pick in the draft to the Wizards, and Porzingis to the Celtics.
However, they ended up with the Memphis just before midnight Wednesday when the deal failed.
Porzingis, who will be 28 years old on Aug. 2, had the best season of his NBA career last year playing for the Washington Wizards. he averaged a career-high 23.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.5 blocks in 65 games.
The fourth overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft by the Knicks was playing his first full season in Washington after the Wizards traded for him at the 2022 trade deadline, sending Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans to Dallas in exchange.
With Porzingis being sent to Boston, he will give Celtics an entirely different offensive dimension alongside stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, as the team aims for an 18th NBA championship this coming season.
Buying Porzingis is part of the major decisions ahead for the Celtics this summer, as Boston also can offer Brown, an All-Star forward, a five-year, $295 million contract extension this summer and has to sort out the future of restricted free agent forward Grant Williams.
However, the Boston Celtics will also have to adjust its strategy without Smart, who has been the heart of the team throughout his nine years with the franchise, making him the longest-tenured player on the current roster in addition to being one of the league’s best and most versatile perimeter defenders, which was recognized by his winning the 2022 Defensive Player of the Year award.
Smart, who averaged a career-high 6.3 assists last season for the Celtics, is now a major advantage for the Grizzlies as Ja Morant serves his suspension over the first 25 games of the season.
Tyus Jones will fill in for Morant to be the starting point guard for the Washington Wizards. His acquisition will be the second major trade the Wizards will make within a few days after sending Bradley Beal to the Phoenix Suns on Sunday for Chris Paul, Landry Shamet, several second-round picks, and first-round pick swaps.
Wojnarowski also said that Washington forward Kyle Kuzma declined his player option and will be an unrestricted free agent.
