Welcome to NBA offseason chaos, population: Boston and Atlanta. The Celtics just offloaded Kristaps Porzingis in a sneaky three-team deal with the Hawks and Nets, and while fans in Boston are crying into their Larry Bird jerseys, the Hawks are busy flipping the script—and the Western Conference is starting to sweat a little. Why? Because the Kristaps Porzingis trade just opened up a $25.3 million trade exception, and Atlanta might be cooking something spicy in the trade lab.

Here’s how it went down: Boston shipped off Kristaps Porzingis and a second-rounder to the Hawks. Brooklyn scooped up Terance Mann and the No. 22 pick. Boston walked away with Georges Niang and another second-round pick. Now, if you’re thinking, “Wait, didn’t Porzingis just help the Celtics win a ring?” Yes, he did in 2024—but the man’s health history is shakier than Russell Westbrook’s three-point shot in crunch time.

Porzingis missed a big chunk of the season, and when he did play in the postseason, he looked more like a backup singer than the Latvian Unicorn. In 11 playoff games, the 7-footer averaged just 7.7 points on a shooting percentage that fell faster than James Harden in transition defense—just 31.6% from the field and 15.4% from deep.

A closer look at the final stretch of Kristaps Porzingis’ run with the Celtics reveals just how desperate the situation had become. As SI’s Sloan Piva put it, “The Celtics were better off never playing Kristaps in the playoffs. Everyone was apprehensive about his mystery illness, on top of knowing Boston had no leverage given the financials. Bad mix.”

Both Brad Stevens and Joe Mazzulla had to make tough decisions. As Joe pointed out during the playoffs, “I mean, he couldn’t breathe. …and if we absolutely needed him, we would have been able to go to him and rely on him.” Praising Porzingis for gutting it out, but subtly acknowledging that his limited minutes were more of a liability than a lift. When factoring in his hefty contract and long-term health concerns, it became clear the Celtics were cornered financially and competitively.

Still, let’s not act like he’s washed. In the regular season, Kristaps Porzingis put up a cool 19.5 points, 6.8 boards, and 1.5 blocks in just under 29 minutes per game. When healthy, the guy’s a walking mismatch—too big for wings, too fast for slow-footed centers, and just the right amount of stretch to mess up any defensive scheme.

Hawks get Trae a tower—and a trick called Porzingis

Here’s where it gets interesting. The Hawks now have Porzingis at $30.7 million for next season. But the kicker? They created a $25.3 million trade exception in the process, which is basically a golden ticket to grab another high-salary player without sending equal salary back. Think of it like cap space with training wheels—safe but still dangerous.

And who are they eyeing? Per Brett Siegel, the Hawks are sniffing around Nickeil Alexander-Walker in a sign-and-trade. That’s not earth-shattering, but paired with their No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher, Dyson Daniels, and a slimmed-down, locked-in Trae Young, this team is quietly reloading.

And speaking of Trae—he recently responded to a fan who boldly claimed, “Trae Young will be in the Finals next year,” with a one-word tweet: “Promise..🤞🏽”

Confidence? Check. Help? Kinda check. Cap flexibility? Big-time check.

On the flip side, the Celtics are waving goodbye to second-apron penalties like they’re clearing browser history before a salary audit. With Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday off the books, Boston is projected to save a whopping $180 million in tax payments.

According to Shams, Boston’s payroll was heading for a financial cliff straight out of a Fast & Furious movie. This move didn’t just apply the brakes—it slammed the e-brake and pulled a 180. They’re now $4.5 million under the second apron, which gives Brad Stevens and Bill Chisholm breathing room and options.

Georges Niang isn’t KP, let’s be honest. But he’s a serviceable stretch four who shot over 40% from three in multiple seasons and averaged 12.1 points off the bench in Atlanta. He can space the floor and won’t collapse like a lawn chair in the playoffs.

But let’s not pretend this was all about basketball. Tatum’s injury changed everything. With the Celtics’ golden boy out for most—if not all—of next season, chasing titles became wishful thinking. Chris Mannix put it bluntly: “He’s done. I’d be shocked if he came back next year.”

So yeah, Boston’s 2025-26 season? Probably a soft reboot. And Kristaps Porzingis—as good as he is when available—just didn’t fit into that future.

Don’t look now, but the Hawks might be onto something. Trae Young just wrapped up a stellar season where he led the league in assists (11.6 per game), had multiple 20-20 games, and posted 24.2 points on decent splits. Sure, his efficiency could use a little WD-40 (41.1% FG), but you try carrying a mid-tier team through a Play-In slugfest with one functioning Achilles.

Now, you pair him with a healthy Kristaps Porzingis, Dyson Daniels (your new MIP and DPOY runner-up), Risacher, and potentially Nickeil Alexander-Walker? That’s a feisty squad. Add in the trade exception and some smart cap maneuvering, and Atlanta just might leapfrog a few teams in the East.

And don’t forget—Porzingis, for all his injury baggage, is still a unicorn when used right. Give him space, let him pick-and-pop with Trae, and he might cook defenses like he’s back on the Knicks circa 2018—before his knees decided to play Twister.

The Kristaps Porzingis trade isn’t just a paper move—it’s a franchise-defining pivot. For Boston, it’s the start of a retool, a financial detox, and a temporary goodbye to contention. For Atlanta, it’s a bold bet on upside, depth, and making life easier for Trae Young, whose Finals “promise” might not be so far-fetched after all.

So, to the Western contenders: keep an eye on that $25.3M exception. The Hawks are circling. And with Kristaps Porzingis finally landing in a situation where he doesn’t have to carry the franchise on his ankles, things might be about to get spicy.