Kristaps Porzingis believed he would be joining the San Antonio Spurs this offseason, but the Atlanta Hawks deal came out of nowhere.
Kristaps Porzingis left the Boston Celtics this summer, as the team looks to go in a different direction in the aftermath of Jayson Tatum’s Achilles injury.
To shed some salary, the Celtics traded Kristaps Porzingis to the Atlanta Hawks. The Hawks landed him to try and contend in the Eastern Conference next season.
Despite the exit, Porzingis looks at his Celtics stint quite fondly. And this is a sentiment shared by fans, as Georges Niang expects resentment from Celtics fans over the Porzingis trade.
This move from the Hawks should make Trae Young quite happy. After several years, the Hawks have built a contender-level roster.
And while Porzingis was surprised by the Hawks trade, he is looking forward to playing with them. But the Latvian superstar thought he would join another All-Star in the Western Conference.
Photo by Matt Stone/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty ImagesKristaps Porzingis reveals he expected San Antonio Spurs trade
Kristaps Porzingis spoke in an interview with Sporta Studija in Latvia. When discussing his trade this summer, the Unicorn shared his original expectations.
Porzingis knew he would be leaving the Celtics. And after initial conversations with his agent, he expected to join Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs. (H/T Basketball Sphere)
“The rumors started popping up during the season already. It didn’t exactly distract us, but we knew this team might not stay together due to the salary cap.
“After the season, I spoke to my agent and kind of expected that one or more of us would be traded.
“For a while, I thought I might end up with the Spurs, but then Atlanta came in—and that was a nice surprise. It was out of my hands.”
Atlanta Hawks better situation than Boston Celtics
Kristaps Porzingis also added that he is excited for a new season with the Atlanta Hawks. In fact, the Hawks might even be a better fit for him than the Celtics, because expectations aren’t nearly as high.
“I think expectations are high. Atlanta’s been on the edge of the playoffs the last few years, sometimes getting through the first round.
“It’s a great situation for me to come in and contribute. Maybe even better than Boston, where it was championship or bust.”
Porzingis can provide the Hawks with a spacing option who can defend really well. That is the right way to build around a player like Trae Young, a strong shooter and passer, but a weak defender.
Expect the Atlanta Hawks to make some noise in the Eastern Conference, because they have one of the strongest rosters.