According to Evan Sidery of Forbes, other teams view Kristaps Porzingis as a negative asset. The Celtics may need to attach draft capital to offload his $30.7 million expiring contract. This news emerges as the Celtics plan to shed money to get under the NBA's second apron.
This is a game-changing opportunity for the New Orleans Pelicans, who have always been a team looking to put a stretch big man alongside Zion Williamson in the frontcourt. With this report, the Pelicans could finally make that dream come true. Adding arguably the NBA's best stretch five in a season where the Pels are looking to contend in the west would be huge and could make next season's team special.
The 'Unicorn' comes to The Big Easy
The real question is, what would the Pelicans have to give up? The Celtics are looking for expiring deals or smaller contracts, so for this deal to be possible, another team would probably have to get involved. That's where the Dallas Mavericks come in. Dallas has been in rumors since they won the draft lottery as a team that wants to add a starting point guard. Well, the Pelicans have that in CJ McCollum, who fits well in Dallas, making the Mavs the perfect third team for this deal.
This deal satisfies every team's needs. Starting with the Celtics, they shed some cap space and acquire two guys who can help keep them competitive in 2025-26 even without Jayson Tatum. For Dallas, they bring a point guard who can be a scoring punch and fill in for Kyrie Irving while he rehabs his ACL injury. They also added a first-round pick to add a win-now player.
Now, over to the Pelicans, this deal helps them finally get their stretch five. They bring in an NBA champion in Kristaps Porzingis, who has dealt with some health issues but should be ready to go at the start of the 2025-26 season. Despite the health scares, Porzingis was a monster last season. He averaged 19.5 points per game and 6.8 rebounds, shooting a ridiculous 41.2% from 3 on 6.0 attempts a night.
KP's shooting ability could open up the Pelicans' offense. Last season, they ranked in the bottom 5 in all three-point statistics, but by adding Porzingis, they could climb significantly, thanks to his offensive output. The 29-year-old regularly shoots from beyond 30 feet, and his ability to stretch the floor would further open up the paint for Zion Williamson to feast.
As a defender, he would be an unreal fit. On every team he has ever played for, he has been looked at as the last line of defense, which could continue on the Pelicans. He averaged 1.5 blocks per game last season and is just a shot-altering monster. His two-way presence would give the Pelicans significant lineup flexibility.
Trading for Porzingis is a significant risk, as he is constantly dealing with injuries. However, the Pels have to take risks this summer to be a real threat in the West. It would also potentially stunt the growth of Yves Missi, who had a great rookie season in 2024-25. However, the Pelicans can sacrifice stunting Missi's growth to bring in someone like KP, who is a proven winner and will raise this team's ceiling.
This deal also brings in Jaden Hardy, a fun, explosive guard who could compete for the open starting point guard role with Dejounte Murray starting his season on the sidelines.
With the Pelicans looking to compete, adding a player like Kristaps Porzingis, whose value is at an all-time low, could be just the move they need. Since he's on an expiring deal, they can wash their hands of him the following off-season if things don't work out.