Celtics Acquire Porzingis in 3-Way Trade with Wizards, Smart Transferred to Grizzlies, According to AP Sources

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Two insiders disclosed on Thursday that the Washington Wizards have consented to a deal which will see their center, Kristaps Porzingis, heading to the Boston Celtics. This agreement is part of a three-way trade that also involves Marcus Smart being transferred to the Memphis Grizzlies. The sources revealed this information to The Big Big News, insisting on staying anonymous as official announcements have yet to be made.

The trade deal is established with Porzingis accepting his player option for the forthcoming season. Furthermore, the arrangement entails the Grizzlies securing Smart, the 2022 Defensive Player of the Year, from Boston in return for first-round draft picks in 2023 and 2024. ESPN disclosed that Tyus Jones, a guard from Memphis, is also being obtained by the Wizards. They will also receive forwards Mike Muscala and Danilo Gallinari and a second-round pick this year from Boston.

Following their seven-game defeat to Miami in the Eastern Conference finals, the Celtics are bolstering their team with the 7-foot-3 Porzingis. After a successful season with the Wizards, where he averaged a career-best 23.2 points per game and 8.4 rebounds, Porzingis demonstrated his health by appearing in 66 games, his most since the 2016-17 season with the New York Knicks.

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Porzingis leaving marks a quick dissolution of Washington’s main team following the Wizards’ agreement to trade Bradley Beal to Phoenix and Kyle Kuzma’s decision to decline his option. After missing out on the playoffs for two consecutive seasons, the Wizards, under the new team president Michael Winger, are evidently in the phase of rebuilding.

Smart, who has spent all of his nine NBA seasons in Boston, was the longest-serving player and a significant presence in the locker room. He is also ranked fourth in the franchise’s history for 3-pointers (911) and assists (2,700). His departure makes Derrick White and the reigning Sixth Man of the Year, Malcolm Brogdon, the primary candidates to take Smart’s place.

Smart’s vast experience will be an asset to the youthful Memphis team which requires support at the point guard position due to the announced 25-game suspension for Ja Morant next season. Additionally, Smart’s playoff experience will be beneficial to the Grizzlies, who haven’t managed to win a playoff series despite being second in the West for the past two seasons.

The Celtics managed to reach the NBA Finals in 2022, but couldn’t replicate the success this season despite the gifted pair of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

Porzingis was in recovery from knee surgery when he was obtained from Dallas by the Wizards 16 months ago.

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For more updates, follow Noah Trister at https://twitter.com/noahtrister

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AP NBA: https://bigbignews.net/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports