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The blockbuster trade that landed Kristaps Porzingis in exchange for Marcus Smart was a tough yet fair decision made by the Boston Celtics this summer. With the 7-foot-3 unicorn now in tow, the Shamrocks possess a third top-flight star offensive talent to pair alongside cornerstones Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown as they hope to contend for banner 18.
However, to Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz, in three years the blockbuster could prove to be one of the worst made this offseason, as he believes it has the “potential to turn “disastrous,” particularly from a financial standpoint.
“While Smart was owed a team-friendly average of nearly $20 million per year for the next three seasons, a two-year, $60 million extension for Porziņģis brings his total to $96 million over the next three seasons. That’s $12 million more per year than Smart, which is significant when taking a look at Boston’s financial future,” Swartz wrote.
“If Tatum and Brown each sign their expected $300-plus million extensions, the Celtics are going to become one of the NBA’s most expensive rosters moving forward. Malcolm Brogdon is making $22.5 million each of the next two seasons, and Derrick White is making roughly $19 million per year over that span as well. Boston is destined to become a second-apron team, which will put limitations on their future trades and draft picks.”
Swartz would also point out the fact that by losing Marcus Smart, the Celtics are now void of the player who, when sharing the floor with Tatum and Brown last season, helped the team boast “a net rating of plus-7.4 (90th percentile),” compared to a “minus-0.9 (47th percentile)” when just the guard was on the sidelines.
Add in the fact that Kristaps Porzingis has averaged “54 games per season over the past four years since returning from a torn ACL,” and injuries are perhaps just as concerning as these new financial restraints.
Celtics Attended John Wall Workout
As Swartz heavily focused on in his piece, the Celtics now have a void at their point guard position with the departure of Marcus Smart. With this, it’s evident that the front office should strongly consider adding some extra talents to fill out their backcourt rotation prior to the start of the 2023-24 season.
One potential option could come in the form of former All-NBA selectee and veteran free agent, John Wall, as The Athletic’s Kelly Iko reported on July 9 that Boston was among several organizations that attended his private workout.
A five-time NBA All-Star and a former All-Defensive selection, Wall boasts stellar career averages of 18.7 points, 8.9 assists, 4.2 rebounds, 1.6 steals, and just shy of a block.
Last season, after sitting out all of 2021-22, the point guard saw 34 games of action with the Los Angeles Clippers, posting averages of 11.4 points, 5.2 assists, and 2.7 rebounds before being traded and, ultimately, waived by the Houston Rockets.
Celtics, Jaylen Brown May Agree to Contract in ‘Coming Week’
While the Celtics have been a rather busy club already this summer, taking part in a bevy of transactions headlined by the Kristaps Porzingis blockbuster trade, perhaps the biggest storyline pertaining to the franchise revolves around the future of star wing, Jaylen Brown, who is currently extension-eligible.
As of this writing on July 12, there has yet to be any news regarding any agreements on a new deal, though The Athletic’s Jared Weiss issued a promising update on where the two parties currently stand.
“League sources told The Athletic (contract talks have) gone as expected so far, with the two sides starting to make progress and likely moving closer to an agreement over the coming week,” Weiss wrote.
Coming off his first All-NBA selection, Jaylen Brown is now eligible for a lucrative five-year, $295 million super-max contract extension.
2022-23 proved to be the wing’s best season from a statistical standpoint, as he posted career-best averages in points (26.6), rebounds (6.9), and field goal percentage (49.1) while tying his career-best in assists (3.5).
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