NBA Rumors: Celtics Explored This Deal Before Kristaps Porzingis Trade

The Celtics raced against the clock to get the Kristaps Porzingis trade done on time, but Boston reportedly could have made a completely different trade.

The Green finalized their three-team deal with the Washington Wizards and Memphis Grizzlies. The C’s got Porzingis and two first-round picks — they traded that pick in Thursday’s draft and left with multiple second-round picks. The Grizzlies got Marcus Smart, and the Wizards came away with Tyus Jones, Danilo Gallinari, Mike Muscala and the No. 35 pick of the 2023 NBA Draft.

Stevens early Friday praised the team fit Porzingis brings to the team and thanked Smart for his nine-year tenure with the team.

However, the Celtics were in talks with the Golden State Warriors for Jordan Poole before they came to an agreement with the Wizards for Porzingis, according to Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer. It’s unclear which players Boston would have sent.

The Los Angeles Clippers were “closing in” on being part of the three-team trade but backed out due to concerns about not getting Malcolm Brogdon’s physical done on time — Porzingis had until Wednesday to opt into his $36 million player option.

The Warriors, ironically, would be part of a trade with Washington, but it reportedly was a deal that sent Chris Paul to Golden State. The Wizards told teams they were prioritizing short-term salary, according to Fischer. But they opted to take on Poole’s four-year, $128 million contract, along with Patrick Baldwin Jr., Ryan Rollins and two future draft picks.

Poole is not a traditional point guard and is more of a score-first type of player, so on paper, he does not seem like a strong fit with the Celtics. He made big shots against Boston in the 2022 NBA Finals, and he still is 24 years old, so there’s room for him to grow.

The Poole report does show Boston is looking at all of its options in trying to improve its roster. The Celtics reportedly remain active in the market, and there might be other players the Green could trade away.