Latest Kristaps Porzingis Update Shows Celtics Made Right Call

When the Atlanta Hawks traded for Kristaps Porzingis in the offseason, they were hoping for a productive season from a guy who recently won an NBA Finals ring with the Boston Celtics.

Unfortunately for Porzingis (and the Hawks), 2025-26 has brought more illness troubles for KP, and he might find himself getting traded in the coming days.

ESPN’s Bobby Marks identified Porzingis this week as the Hawks’ “player to watch” ahead of the February 5 trade deadline.

“Trae Young was originally on the watch list before he was sent to Washington for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert,” Marks wrote. “The Young trade now allows Atlanta to move off Porzingis’ expiring $30.7 million contract and gain flexibility to take back salary in future years — for example, Anthony Davis.”

“But with Davis out for an extended period of time with a left hand injury, holding on to Porzingis for the remainder of the season is the more viable option,” Marks continued. “Porzingis has missed 14 games due to illness but has been effective on the hardwood, providing Atlanta with much-needed size in the frontcourt.”

Even though Marks sort of backed off his take that KP will get moved, it’s still clear that Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens traded Porzingis at the right time.

Would one more season of KP have been nice, especially given Boston’s shallow frontcourt situation? Sure, but having Porzingis doesn’t really mean anything unless he’s available. And with Stevens under pressure to cut costs this past summer, moving off of KP’s $30.7 million cap hit was inevitable.

Porzingis will hit free agency after the season and might not find himself with a ton of suitors. Some have speculated that this could lead to a return to Boston on a cheap contract, but the ship has probably sailed for good on that front.