Getty Head coach Joe Mazzulla reacts against the Chicago Bulls.
Though the 2023 NBA offseason has proven to be a rather active one filled with several action-packed moves, the Boston Celtics have been noted as having made perhaps the most surprising deal of all.
While grading each of the club’s most noteworthy moves made, Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley unsurprisingly touched on the blockbuster trade that saw them swap long-tenured point guard Marcus Smart for star big man Kristaps Porzingis and, within his analysis, he boldly described the deal as “the summer’s biggest stunner.”
“The idea of the Celtics moving forward without Marcus Smart is jarring alone. In addition to being the team’s longest-tenured player, he’s also been Boston’s best defender, emotional leader and top table-setter. There are on- and off-court risks in letting him go, even if the Celtics felt they had enough backcourt depth to cover his absence,” Buckley wrote.
“Sending him out for Kristaps Porziņģis—and the two picks—is fascinating. Boston clearly wanted to get bigger and did, bringing aboard the 7’3″, 240-pounder. His injury history is all kinds of worrisome, but he did stay mostly healthy this past season (65 games) and showed what kind of an impact presence he can be when he does.”
Buckley would continue on to discuss the intangibles that a talent like Porzingis provides to an organization when healthy, as he highlighted his “23.2 points on 49.8/38.5/85.1 shooting while grabbing 8.4 rebounds, drilling 2.1 triples and blocking 1.5 shots” whilst staving off significant injuries during his 65-game 2022-23 campaign.
That said, health concerns have proven to be a major factor throughout the 28-year-old’s eight-year NBA career, which easily makes his addition to the title-hopeful rotation for the Celtics at the cost of coughing up their starting point guard and defensive leader in Smart one of the biggest risks made by any team this summer.
Kristaps Porzingis Already Dealing With Injury Concerns
It didn’t take long for Kristaps Porzingis’ injury prone-label to send shivers down the spines of Celtics fans worldwide, as recent reports have noted that the big man may miss the remainder of the FIBA World Cup due to a foot injury.
Exclusive: According to my information there are growing concerns that Latvia star Kristaps #Porzingis might miss the #FIBAWC due to injury. Understood it is something with his foot. Staff, himself and Boston #Celtics will wait until the last moment to make a decision.
Fortunately, despite this initially fear-inducing news, Fabig would continue on to clarify in a follow-up tweet that the injury is considered “nothing too serious,” which, naturally, should be a relief for the franchise, though the situation is still something that will continue to be monitored as Danilo Gallinari’s ACL tear from last summer is likely still a memory fresh in the minds of Celtics fans.
Porzingis has played in over 55 games just three times throughout his NBA tenure and, over the last five seasons, has played in 216 out of a potential total of 390 regular season games, largely as a result of injuries.
Kelly Oubre Tabbed as Possible FA Option for Celtics
The Celtics may have already taken part in several offseason dealings, but they still find themselves with two roster spots in need of filling prior to the start of the 2023-24 season.
While there are many different routes the front office could look to take, Sports Illustrated’s Bobby Krivitsky recently suggested that veteran wing Kelly Oubre Jr. could prove to be an intriguing free agency option that should be on Boston’s radar.
“While Oubre made $12.6 million with the Hornets last season, and there are teams capable of offering him the mid-level exception if Mazzulla’s on board with how he’d fit with the Celtics and the former enticed by his opportunity for minutes on a championship contender,” Kritvitsky wrote. “…While not the cleanest fit in Mazzulla’s offense, if he’s open to the role he’d have off the bench in Boston, as a productive and versatile two-way forward, Oubre could prove a helpful addition to the Celtics’ pursuit of Banner 18.”
Franchise record 37 points off the bench for @KELLYOUBREJR 🔥
Despite still being unsigned, Oubre had himself quite a productive 2022-23 season with the Charlotte Hornets, as he posted impressive per-game averages of 20.3 points (career-high), 5.2 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and 1.4 steals.