If Thursday’s NBA draft was starting to feel anticlimactic with Victor Wembanyama a foregone conclusion as the No. 1 pick, the night before it made up for any lack of drama.
Washington will receive point guard Tyus Jones from Memphis and forward Danilo Gallinari, center Mike Muscala and a second-round pick, the 35th selection overall, in Thursday’s draft from Boston. The Wizards are now slated to pick eighth, 35th, 42nd and 57th. Memphis is also sending Boston the 25th pick in Thursday’s draft as well as a 2024 first-round pick.
ESPN first reported details of the trade.
For the Wizards, dealing Porzingis is the next step in what appears to be a complete razing of the roster under the team’s new top decision-maker, Michael Winger. In return, they acquired one of the league’s most highly-regarded backup point guards on a team-friendly contract: Jones, 27, is slated to make $14 million next season in the second year of a two-year deal.
Washington was reportedly set to send Porzingis to Boston in a three-team trade involving the Los Angeles Clippers earlier Wednesday — until the deal fell apart.
Porzingis, 27, had to pick up the $36 million player option in his contract to make a trade happen. The Latvian came to Washington at the trade deadline in 2022 as part of the deal that sent Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans to the Dallas Mavericks. He excelled in his first full season playing alongside Bradley Beal and Kyle Kuzma, shedding some of his injury-prone reputation by playing 65 games and logging career highs in points per game (23.2), assists (2.7) and field goal percentage (49.8).
He thrived off the court as well, forging a friendship with third-year forward Deni Avdija and becoming more comfortable in D.C. This spring, his representation opened talks about keeping Porzingis in Washington for the long term with former general manager Tommy Sheppard.
Porzingis said he thought he could reach his full potential with the Wizards. But joining Boston offers something sweeter than distant hope: He will have a chance to contend for a championship right away following the Celtics’ runs to the Eastern Conference finals this season and the NBA Finals in 2022.
In theory, Porzingis will fit in Boston’s spread offense, which priorities high-volume three-point shooting. The big man shot 38.5 percent from beyond the arc last season on 5.5 attempts per game, and his ability to space the court is his most valuable offensive skill. However, Porzingis almost certainly will see his role diminish playing alongside the Celtics’ all-star tandem of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
Porzingis still has plenty to prove defensively in the playoffs, though his presence should help Boston limit 37-year-old center Al Horford’s minutes in the regular season. In a best-case scenario, Porzingis could emerge as a paint-protecting option to complement Horford’s more versatile approach.
To land Porzingis, Boston parted ways with Smart, who ends a nine-year run with the Celtics in which he was named the 2022 defensive player of the year and contributed to five trips to the Eastern Conference finals. A hard-nosed defender who endeared himself to Boston fans with his hustle, Smart’s shaky outside shooting proved costly to the Celtics at times in big postseason moments.
Memphis adds Smart to a roster filled with several notable defenders, including 2023 defensive player of the year Jaren Jackson Jr. and center Steven Adams. Smart will help handle some of the defensive responsibilities that were previously given to Dillon Brooks, and he will probably be asked to handle the ball a good amount during Ja Morant’s 25-game suspension.
The rebuilding Wizards added assets without taking on any weighty contracts. Jones could get a chance to run the show in Washington. A controlled player who makes up for limited athleticism with excellent decision-making, he averaged a career-high 10.3 points and 5.2 assists last season.
Gallinari, 34, and Muscala, 31, fill out the deal. Gallinari missed this past season after tearing his left ACL and recently picked up his $6.8 million player option; that’s the final season of his two-year teal. Muscala is slated to earn $3.5 million next season after playing sparingly in the playoffs following a midseason move from Oklahoma City.
As for Washington’s new pick: The 35th slot might not represent a marquee haul, but this year’s draft class is viewed as rife with prospects sporting high upside, meaning there should be plenty of options for a team starting from the bottom and willing to be patient.
The 35th pick seems to be stronger than the multiple second-round picks and first-round pick swaps the Wizards landed when they agreed to trade Beal to the Phoenix Suns on Sunday. In that transaction, Winger was handcuffed by Beal’s contract — it included a no-trade clause approved by Sheppard and owner Ted Leonsis that stripped Washington of any leverage — but he was able to deal Porzingis when the asking price was high.
The move could indicate the Wizards won’t re-sign Kuzma in free agency this summer unless Winger sees the 27-year-old as a player he wants to build around. The forward reportedly declined his $13 million player option Tuesday, as expected, in hopes of landing a more lucrative deal after two strong seasons in Washington.
