Hawks Reportedly Land Porzingis in Major 3-Team Trade

NBA insider reports indicate a significant pre-draft move involving the Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, and Brooklyn Nets, centered around veteran big man Kristaps Porziņģis. The towering 7-foot-2 center is reportedly heading to Atlanta as part of a complex three-team transaction expected to reshape rosters and impact team finances.

This reported deal marks the second major trade in rapid succession for the Boston Celtics, following their move involving Jrue Holiday earlier in the week. For the Atlanta Hawks, it’s the first significant roster shake-up under new General Manager Onsi Saleh. The Brooklyn Nets leveraged their substantial cap space to facilitate the exchange and significantly bolster their draft capital.

While reports surfaced on June 25, 2025, with the NBA Draft set for Wednesday, the trade is anticipated to officially finalize around July 6th.

The Reported Three-Team Exchange:

According to multiple reports, including those from ESPN and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the proposed structure of the trade is as follows:

Atlanta Hawks Receive: Kristaps Porziņģis and a second-round draft pick (specifically, the Celtics’ least-favorable 2026 second-rounder).
Brooklyn Nets Receive: Guard Terance Mann and the No. 22 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft (originally held by the Hawks).

Boston Celtics Receive: Forward Georges Niang and a second-round draft pick (reported as a 2031 second-rounder previously held by Atlanta, acquired from the Cleveland Cavaliers).

Information from The Associated Press also contributed to initial reports of the trade.

Why Make the Deal? Team Motivations & Impacts

Sources familiar with the trade discussions highlight distinct strategic goals for each participating team:

For the Boston Celtics: The primary driver behind this trade appears to be financial flexibility and cap management. By sending out Porziņģis’s $30.7 million salary for next season and receiving Georges Niang’s $8.2 million contract, the Celtics are projected to save over $22 million in salary and potentially over $180 million-$200 million in luxury tax penalties. Crucially, this move, combined with the prior Jrue Holiday trade, is designed to get the Celtics below the NBA’s stringent second salary apron for the 2025-26 season. Getting approximately $4.5 million below this threshold provides significantly more flexibility in future transactions, a key consideration as the team faces Jayson Tatum’s projected extended absence due to an Achilles tear. Team leadership is credited with achieving these financial goals without trading core players like Jaylen Brown or Derrick White, or including outgoing first-round picks in either major deal. However, analysts note this trade weakens Boston’s frontcourt depth, leaving a clear need for a center.

For the Atlanta Hawks: Under new leadership, the Hawks are making a bold move to acquire a potentially elite offensive and defensive presence in Porziņģis. Despite acknowledged risks associated with his injury history—which some reports colorfully compare to a “CVS receipt”—the acquisition cost is seen as remarkably low. The Hawks are adding a player who averaged 19.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists last season, shooting a career-best 41.2% from three-point range. His ability to stretch the floor (ideal for pick-and-pop with Trae Young) and protect the rim (averaging 1.8 blocks per game, holding opponents to under 52% at the rim) could be a significant boost. The Hawks remain well below the luxury tax line even after this deal and retain substantial trade exceptions and the No. 13 overall pick in the upcoming draft. While Porziņģis joins a lineup featuring Trae Young, Dyson Daniels, Jalen Johnson, and Zaccharie Risacher (#1 pick in 2024), his arrival raises questions about the future of Clint Capela (entering free agency) and the role of rising center Onyeka Okongwu.

For the Brooklyn Nets: Leveraging their considerable salary cap space, the Nets acted as a facilitator in the deal to accumulate assets. By taking on Terance Mann’s contract and acquiring the No. 22 overall pick, Brooklyn slightly reduced their available cap space but still project to have over $40 million for free agency moves. This trade gives the Nets an impressive haul of five first-round picks in the upcoming draft (Nos. 8, 19, 22, 26, and 27), plus an additional second-round pick (No. 36). While bringing in this many rookies is unlikely, the Nets are now exceptionally positioned to consolidate these picks to move up in the draft or package them to acquire established veteran talent as they build around players like Nic Claxton and Cam Johnson.

Porziņģis’ Recent Performance & Farewell Message

Porziņģis, who was part of the Celtics team that won the 2024 NBA championship, is reportedly joining his fourth team in five years. While he averaged strong numbers last season, he dealt with illness late in the year and during the playoffs. Despite this, he intends to play for Latvia at EuroBasket this summer and recently posted on social media that he’s feeling “excellent all offseason” and looking forward to a healthy tournament.

Upon news of the reported trade, Porziņģis took to X (formerly Twitter) to share a message with Celtics fans and the organization, stating, “Boston will always be special in my heart. Huge thank you to the organization, coaches, staff, my teammates and the fans. Class organization. Forever grateful.”

This reported multi-team trade sends ripple effects across the league just ahead of the NBA Draft, highlighting teams’ varying priorities regarding talent acquisition, financial flexibility, and long-term roster building.