Kristaps Porzingis Trade Packages and Landing Spots During 2025 NBA Offseason

Changes are coming for the Boston Celtics this offseason, and a Kristaps Porziņģis trade might be among them.

Boston is currently slated to spend roughly a half-billion dollars in payroll and tax penalties for next year's roster, and that's before re-signing Al Horford and/or Luke Kornet. Without knowing how much tolerance the Celtics' new ownership group has for such a historic outlay, they likely won't want to spend so exorbitantly on a team that won't have Jayson Tatum for most or all of next year due to an Achilles injury.

Jaylen Brown, Jrue Holiday and Derrick White should all be on notice. But for now, let's assume Porziņģis is among the players whom Boston looks to move.

Where should he go, which team could he help most, and what might the Celtics be able to get in return? That's what we're here to explore.

Orlando Magic

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Orlando Magic acquire: Kristaps Porziņģis

Boston Celtics acquire: Wendell Carter Jr. and Moritz Wagner

The Magic need offensive firepower, and Porzingis provides more of it than Carter. While Wagner was an extremely efficient scorer prior to tearing his ACL this past season, he's a backup who'll be coming off a major knee injury next season. As long as Magic cornerstone Franz Wagner is cool with the team moving his brother (which is perhaps an iffy proposition), this price for KP is reasonable.

Boston would take on extra long-term money in Carter, who'll earn just $10.9 million in 2025-26 before his salary jumps to $18.1, $19.5 and $21 million (team option) over the three subsequent seasons. Even when including Wagner's $11 million team option for 2025-26, the Celtics would still save roughly $10 million in salary and a lot more in tax penalties.

By the time Carter's salary climbs, Boston will have settled its books. At that point— let's say 2026-27—it would have a 27-year-old Carter making below-market money for a starting center.

Meanwhile, Orlando would get a 5 who hasn't shot below 37.5 percent from deep in any of the last three seasons, opening up the offense for Wagner and Paolo Banchero.

Golden State Warriors

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Golden State Warriors acquire: Kristaps Porziņģis

Boston Celtics acquire: Moses Moody, Buddy Hield, Trayce Jackson-Davis and Gui Santos

The Warriors appear committed to pairing Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green in the frontcourt, which creates a major need for spacing. Quinten Post, a rookie second-rounder, worked his way into a regular rotation role late in the season because he could knock down threes. The Warriors were willing to live with his defensive lapses and inexperience in exchange for his shooting ability.

Porziņģis would provide even more offensive benefits without so many drawbacks.

A Warriors offense that also needs size could get a lot of mileage out of Stephen Curry-Porzingis screening action, as KP's switch-busting post-up game would add a dimension the Dubs have never really had.

Boston would have to make other moves to accommodate four new players, but all four of Moody, Hield, Jackson-Davis and Santos are positive values on their current contracts. The Celtics could reroute any of their new additions or just hold onto Moody and Hield as replacements for Holiday and White if they also trade those two away.

New Orleans Pelicans

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New Orleans Pelicans acquire: Kristaps Porziņģis, Payton Pritchard

Boston Celtics acquire: Kelly Olynyk, Herb Jones

This may not seem like enough of a return package for Boston, especially considering it'd also be sending out Sixth Man of the Year Payton Pritchard in the deal. But the Celtics are desperately trying to get their finances under control, and potential trade partners know that.

Viewed that way, it's incredible that the Celtics are snagging Jones in this exchange.

Maybe the Pels wouldn't be willing to give up such a valuable defensive wing for one year of KP along with Pritchard. But New Orleans will be without point guard Dejounte Murray for most or all of the 2025-26 season, creating a need at the 1. Pritchard isn't a pure point guard, but he can guard the position, and his elite spot-up shooting would work well as an outlet next to Zion Williamson.

Porziņģis would also be a perfect fit alongside Zion, who'd finally get to play with a legitimate spacing center.

Meanwhile, Boston would get to watch Olynyk's deal expire after next year while holding onto Jones through Tatum's first full season back from his Achilles injury.

Chicago Bulls

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Chicago Bulls acquire: Kristaps Porziņģis, No. 28 pick in 2025 draft, No. 32 pick in 2025 draft, 2028 first-round pick (protected 2-14; via SAS)

Boston Celtics acquire: Nikola Vučević, Dalen Terry, No. 12 pick in 2025 draft

It's possible No. 28 and No. 32 would be enough of an enticement for the Bulls to give up their No. 12 selection along with Vučević and Terry's expiring contracts. Porziņģis would be an upgrade over Vooch in basically every way, health permitting.

The uncertainty surrounding KP's health is high, though. He's ended most of his seasons with some kind of injury, and the mysterious illness that plagued him throughout the 2024-25 campaign adds another X-factor to the mix. That's why Boston is also throwing in the 15-30 portion of the 2028 first-rounder it has coming from San Antonio.

The Bulls tend to chase short-term success, and Porziņģis gives them a higher ceiling than Vooch. Assuming Chicago retains restricted free agent Josh Giddey and hands Matas Buzelis a larger role, Porziņģis' deep shooting would be critical. Giddey's late-season shooting surge is hard to buy after an entire career of nonthreatening play from deep.

Meanwhile, Boston would get a cheaper gap-year option in Vučević, who makes about $10 million less than Porziņģis in 2025-26 before coming off the books, but the real prize is Chicago's No. 12 pick. If the Celtics are going to keep a good portion of the band together, they'll need cost-controlled contributors like the one they might be able to snag in the late lottery.

Detroit Pistons

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Detroit Pistons acquire: Kristaps Porziņģis

Boston Celtics acquire: Simone Fontecchio and Marcus Sasser

We've been optimistic about Porziņģis' market value to this point. But what if teams across the league aren't interested in giving up real assets for an oft-injured 30-year-old due to make $30.7 million in 2025-26?

In that scenario, salary relief might be the best Boston can hope for.

Here, the Celtics cut roughly $20 million in 2025-26 salary (plus all the tax savings), swinging an unbalanced trade on the assumption Detroit clears enough cap space to pull this off. That's doable for the Pistons if they don't retain a couple of their free agents from a list that includes Tim Hardaway Jr., Dennis Schröder, Malik Beasley and Paul Reed.

This would be a disappointing return for the Celtics, and they'd be wise to see if better packages were available for Holiday or even Jaylen Brown. From Detroit's perspective, Porziņģis could add a new dimension to the offense, providing spacing for Cade Cunningham and the potential to field a massive front line that also includes Jalen Duren.

With few impact free agents available, the Pistons might view taking a flyer on KP's expiring deal as their best talent-acquisition option—all without committing any long-term cash that might limit their future flexibility.

Stats courtesy of NBA.com, Basketball Reference and Cleaning the Glass. Salary info via Spotrac.

Grant Hughes covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Bluesky and subscribe to the Hardwood Knocks podcast, where he appears with Bleacher Report's Dan Favale.