Celtics Rumors: Kristaps Porziņģis Pursued in Opt-in-and-Trade with Wizards, Clippers

The Boston Celtics are pursuing a trade for Washington Wizards star Kristaps Porziņģis, according to Stadium's Shams Charania.

Charania followed up to report the Los Angeles Clippers have entered the negotiations in a possible three-team deal.

Yahoo Sports' Jake Fischer reported Danilo Gallinari would make his way to the Wizards in the trade.

As part of the proposed swap, Porziņģis would pick up his $36 million option for the 2023-24 NBA season.

Charania added interest in the 7'3" forward extends beyond Boston and that a return to nation's capital isn't out of the question.

One way or the other, the odds seem good that Porziņģis is in a different uniform next offseason.

With the reported trade of Bradley Beal to the Phoenix Suns, the Wizards are basically starting over. Beal held the ultimate trump card thanks to his no-trade clause, but it's telling how Washington wasted little time in accepting a minimal return rather than play hardball.

Turning around and re-signing Porziņģis to a new contract wouldn't make a ton of sense unless the plan was watching his trade value increase and flipping him down the road. But that plan would be risky considering the 27-year-old's injury history.

The Celtics figure to be active this offseason following their Eastern Conference finals exit. Maybe the big move isn't as dramatic as breaking up the tandem of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, but Boston can't simply run it back and expect a different outcome

Porziņģis would provide obvious size for a roster that has just four players who are 6'10" or taller (Gallinari, Mike Muscala, Mfiondu Kabengele and Luke Kornet), one of whom didn't appear in a single game this past year.

The Latvian big man would also help space the floor, either in pick-and-pops or catch-and-shoot scenarios, and operate as a traditional post player who looks to score or facilitate the offense. He shot 38.5 percent from beyond the arc and averaged 2.7 assists in 2022-23.

Beyond his durability concerns, Porziņģis' contract situation will be a consideration for Boston, though. Assuming he opts in, he'll be a free agent at the same time as Brown, and re-signing both would potentially be an expensive endeavor.

Still, plenty of fans will argue the short-term benefits outweigh the long-term concerns.