NBA
Rumors around the league say that the Boston Celtics could trade for Washington’s Kristaps Porzingis this offseason
Zach Wolpin is an NBA and NFL expert who's been betting on the league for over three years now. Wolpin has been a fan of the NBA and has been watching for a decade and a half. He covers the latest news and stories surrounding the league daily. His passion in life is watching sports and being able to share that through his sports writing. He has written about the NBA and other sports leagues through various media outlets over the years like Sir Charles In Charge, G-Men HQ, and TAP into South Plainfield. Before he became an NBA News Writer, Wolpin attended Montclair State University where he graduated in 2021. He studied Sports Media and Writing while in school.
All posts by Zach WolpinUpdated13 Jun 2023
The Boston Celtics fell short of their goal this postseason and lost in the Conference Finals to Miami in seven games. Their season ended in a Game 7 blowout loss at home. Boston has one of the better rosters in the NBA. However, it’s clear that they still need to make some changes. One league source says that the Boston Celtics could trade for Washington’s Kristaps Porzingis this offseason.
During the upcoming free agency period, the Boston Celtics need to act fast and get some help at the center position. At this point in his career, 37-year-old Al Horford is not cutting it for Boston in the playoffs. He’s in his second stint with the Celtics and has five seasons for them.
This past season, Horford averaged a career-low (9.8) points and (6.2) rebounds per game. The five-time all-star is not who he used to be. If the Celtics want to get over the hump and win another title, they need some help at center. Washington’s Kristaps Porzingus is a potential answer to the problem they are facing.
Kristaps Porzingis had the highest FG% on drives in the ENTIRE NBA this past month (76.3%)
Massively underrated aspect of his game: killing closeouts, extremely decisive, & big-time finishes off the bounce. Having an unbelievably underrated/healthy season for the Wiz… pic.twitter.com/BcUx1sXu7J
— NBA University (@NBA_University) April 1, 2023
Is Krisptaps Porzingus a realistic option for the Boston Celtics this offseason?
While the one-time all-star is not what he used to be, Porzingis is still an elite-level frontcourt player in the NBA. This past season he led the Wizards in points (23.2), rebounds (8.4), and blocks (1.5) per game. He played and started in 65 of their 82 games last season.
At the moment, Boston’s two big men who see the most playing time are Al Horford and Robert Williams. Both have their limitations on offense but play exceptional defense. Krisistaps Porzingis is a better offensive player than Horford and Williams.
The slight edge could go to Robert Williams on defense, but Porzingis is far and away the better offensive player. Al Horford is a well-respected veteran in this league. Sadly, his age showed in the playoffs this season as he averaged a career-low (6.7) points per game during the 2023 playoffs.
