The Celtics made four Eastern Conference Finals with a core of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart but only had one NBA Finals appearance to show for it.
After falling short in the Eastern Conference Finals again in 2023, Boston's front office decided it was time for a major change. The Celtics elected to trade Smart — the franchise's lifeblood since he was drafted with the No. 6 overall pick in 2014 — in a three-team deal for All-Star forward Kristaps Porzingis.
It was a tough pill to swallow for all Celtics fans, but the return netted them a player who could get the team one step closer to an elusive 18th championship banner.
With Boston four wins shy of hoisting the Larry O'Brien trophy for the first time since 2008, let's revisit the deal that landed Porzingis with the Celtics.
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Revisiting Celtics trade for Kristaps Porzingis
Celtics receive:
- Kristaps Porzingis
- No. 25 pick in 2023 NBA Draft (via Grizzlies, traded to Pistons and became Marcus Sasser)
- Top-four protected 2024 first-round pick (via Warriors, traded to Trail Blazers in Jrue Holiday deal)
Grizzlies receive:
- Marcus Smart
Wizards receive:
- Tyus Jones
- Danilo Gallinari
- Mike Muscala
- No. 35 pick in 2023 NBA Draft (traded to Bulls, became Julian Philips)
At the time of the trade back in June, the consensus reaction was "How did the Celtics land Porzingis and two first-round picks for Smart and expiring veteran contracts?"
The knee-jerk reactions aged well in this deal.
Porzingis' health has been a major question mark throughout his career, but there was no denying that if were to stay healthy, he would be the best player traded. There were also hesitations as to how he'd fit in with score-first stars like Tatum and Brown, but Porzingis quickly proved to be the perfect match for this Celtics lineup.
For Boston to land two firsts in addition to the All-Star forward was baffling. (Especially when you consider that one of the first-rounders was later re-routed to Portland to help the Celtics acquire Holiday.)
Porzingis only ended up playing 57 games this regular season and has missed 10 of the Celtics' 14 playoff games leading to the 2024 NBA Finals, but if he's available to return against the Mavericks, many believe he's the difference-maker that could lead Boston to a title.
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The Grizzlies were so injury-riddled all season that they haven't had a chance to see the way Smart can impact big moments like the playoffs. The Wizards got one solid season from Tyus Jones — who led the NBA in assist-to-turnover ratio for the fifth time in six seasons — but he is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason.
Looking back on the trade a year later, it's safe to say Boston came out as the winner.
Revisiting Kristaps Porzingis trade grades
SN's Steph Noh gave the Celtics a B grade for the Porzingis trade. Noh thought Porzingis had the potential to be a great fit on both ends of the court for Boston, but he noted that the Celtics were "taking a big gamble on health."
"If it all works out, then Porzingis can let the Celtics play like the best version of themselves," wrote Noh. "They can go back to their two-big lineup that was so devastating in years past. This was a risky trade, but it should make them strong favorites to get back to the Finals."
Noh then wrote the Celtics "should be considered strong title favorites" after acquiring Holiday.