NBA Trade Grades: Hawks To Acquire Kristaps Porzingis In 3-Team Deal

The Boston Celtics have agreed to trade Kristaps Porzingis to the Atlanta Hawks in a three-team deal involving the Brooklyn Nets.

Brooklyn will receive Terance Mann and the 22nd pick in the 2025 NBA Draft from the Hawks, which will also receive a second-rounder. Georges Niang and a second-round pick will go to Boston. ESPN’s Shams Charania was first to report.

The trade can’t be completed until July 6 because Mann is being acquired into cap space.

Over the last 24 hours, the Celtics have dramatically altered the dynamic of what was once a championship roster. The main purpose of trading Jrue Holiday and Porzingis was to get under the second apron. That has now been accomplished.

Atlanta has made a statement of intent with the Porzingis acquisition while Brooklyn is now loaded up for Wednesday’s Draft.

Here’s how each team fared in the deal.

Boston Celtics: C+

Many will look at the return for Porzingis and deem it inadequate. Porzingis thrived in Boston and was a solid contributor to the title run. He will be missed. Having to trade him isn’t all on the Celtics, though. These are the ramifications the second apron forces teams into.

The only thing deserving of an “F” grade here is the new CBA and the owners who enforced it. A team having to dismantle its roster because of a major injury to its best player shows the second apron rules take things too far.

Because of the circumstances presented, Boston has been forced into this salary dump that saves the franchise nearly $180 million in tax penalties. The Celtics are now $4.5 million under the apron after trading both Holiday and Porzingis. Especially considering Porzingis’ injury history, this was a calculated, logical move.

Trading Kristaps Porzingis now puts Boston under the second apron.

The Porzingis and Jrue Holiday trades save Boston a projected $180M in tax penalties.

— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) June 24, 2025

This is the ugly hand Boston’s been dealt as a result of Tatum’s injury and second apron, and Brad Stevens has done what he had to in order to navigate it.

Payton Pritchard, Derrick White and Jaylen Brown are the core of the team for next season. One has to imagine Al Horford — an unrestricted free agent — will be on his way out as well.

Atlanta Hawks: A

With opportunity knocking on the door, the Hawks have done very well to acquire a potential difference-maker.

When healthy, a starting five of Trae Young, Dyson Daniels, Jalen Johnson, Onyeka Okongwu and Porzingis projects to be very competitive in a revamped East.

Mann was acquired at the 2025 trade deadline and, along with a second-round pick, is a no-brainer of a sacrifice for a real upgrade.

The Cleveland Cavaliers look the favorites in the East as things stand while the New York Knicks will be right there. Beyond that, a lot could change. That’s the reality of Tatum, Tyrese Haliburton and Damian Lillard all suffering Achilles ruptures during the playoffs.

Brooklyn Nets: A

Is this a Brian Windhorst, “Why would they do that?” moment for the Nets?

Brooklyn now owns the No. 8, 19, 22, 26 and 27 picks in the 2025 NBA Draft. It’s hard to imagine the Nets using all of those picks for themselves. The most likely scenario is bundling the lower picks in an effort to move up in the Draft.

Perhaps packaging even a pair of them with No. 8 gets them into the top five.

This is a wise use of cap space to become players in this deal and acquire what could be a very handy draft pick.