Kristaps Porzingis' future with the Boston Celtics is as uncertain as ever, heading into the summer of 2025. The franchise's future is at a crossroads with serious second-round penalties looming and Jayson Tatum likely being sidelined for the entire 2025-26 season with an Achilles tear.
As ESPN's NBA Insider Shams Charania put it during his appearance on Tuesday's "Pat McAfee Show" episode, "The Boston Celtics are going to make trades... They're definitely going to have a different roster next season."
Kristaps Porzingis' future with the Boston Celtics is as uncertain as ever, heading into the summer of 2025. The franchise's future is at a crossroads with serious second-round penalties looming and Jayson Tatum likely being sidelined for the entire 2025-26 season with an Achilles tear.
As ESPN's NBA Insider Shams Charania put it during his appearance on Tuesday's "Pat McAfee Show" episode, "The Boston Celtics are going to make trades... They're definitely going to have a different roster next season."
The reason why the trade rumors surrounding the Celtics are so loud at the moment is less about their disappointing second-round exit and more about the financial aspect of keeping their expensive roster together.
In order to dive below the NBA's second-apron line and avoid the penalties that come along with being above it, Boston needs to find a way to lessen their team salary by $20 million. The most logical way to go about doing so would be to trade Porzingis and/or Jrue Holiday, who are set to make a combined $63.1 million next season.
Porzingis is a particularly interesting trade candidate because he's in the final year of his contract. Teams may be more willing to take a chance on him, despite his long history of injuries, with that in mind.
Most recently, he struggled in the 2025 playoffs when he was plagued by what Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens called "post-viral syndrome." The lingering illness could diminish his trade value a bit, but again, the expiring contract makes him a low-risk, high-reward play for many teams.
Could the Chicago Bulls be a landing spot for Kristaps Porzingis?
Maybe, it's tough to say with the Bulls because no one has any idea what's going on over there. They can't seem to decide whether or not they want to try and compete or tank for a higher draft pick.
It might be a good idea for the Celtics to check, though.
Nikola Vucevic, much like Porzingis, is on an expiring contract. He's owed $21 million next season, lessening the long-term risk of trading for a soon-to-be 35-year-old center.
Working to find a trade where Porzingis goes to Chicago and Vucevic ends up in Boston might be in the Cs' best interest. First and foremost, the Celtics would be able to save $9 million with this move. Financial relief has to be a top priority with the second apron looming. Plus, Vucevic would be a suitable replacement for KP.
Last season, he averaged 18.5 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game while shooting 53% from the field and 40.2% from deep. He isn't the same level of defender as Porzingis, but he'd be a versatile option offensively.
The biggest hurdle would be figuring out how to entice the Bulls. I'm not sure what Porzingis alone does for them. They aren't a team who should be looking for a high-reward play, since it seems like they want to examine the younger talent that they've already got.
If this deal were to happen, Boston would almost certainly have to attach multiple picks. If Stevens thinks that sacrifice is worth Vucevic as a competitive, yet cheaper, replacement for Porzingis, then Celtics fans should be all for it.
On a scale of 1-10, I'd give this a four in terms of probability. Possible, but maybe not all that probable.
