To aid their efforts of getting under the NBA's second tax apron, the Boston Celtics traded Kristaps Porzingis for Georges Niang, saving a lot of money in the process. Porzingis only played two years for the Celtics, but he helped them on their way to their 18th title as a franchise.
However, Porzingis wasn't exactly a featured contributor in their title run in 2024. He appeared in only seven games and started only four of them. His standout performance was Game 1 of the NBA Finals, where he scored 20 points on eight-for-13 shooting, including two three-pointers. However, suffering a calf injury and then an ankle injury limited his availability overall.
Porzingis was more available during the Celtics' playoff run in 2025, but a recurring illness badly limited his effectiveness. In 11 games, Porzingis averaged 7.7 points and 4.6 rebounds, shooting 31.6% from the field and 15.4% from three.
With Porzingis now on the Atlanta Hawks, he expressed how excited he is to be in Atlanta, but also revealed some surprising feelings about his time in Boston. In an interview with Latvian Outlet Sporta Studija, Porzingis revealed what he likes about the Hawks that's different from his time with the Celtics.
“I think expectations are high. Atlanta’s been on the edge of the playoffs the last few years, sometimes getting through the first round,” he said, as translated by BasketNews. “It’s a great situation for me to come in and contribute. Maybe even better than Boston, where it was championship or bust.”
Boston embraced Porzingis during his time as a Celtic, and it felt as though Porzingis embraced the city right back. However, it is unexpected that he wasn't too big a fan of the pressure on him to help them win a title.
