NBA Rumors: What Kristaps Porzingis’ Team Told Celtics Amid Trade Talks

Kristaps Porzingis and the Celtics appear to be very much on the same page about the future.

Shortly after Boston completed a three-team deal with Memphis and Washington to acquire Porzingis, president of basketball of operations Brad Stevens acknowledged he was hopeful the Celtics would be able to sign the 7-foot-3 center to a contract extension this summer. A follow-up report also claimed Boston is “strongly expected” to extend Porzingis once it’s in the clear to do so starting July 6.

And at that juncture, all that’s left to do might be putting pen to paper. According to The Boston Globe’s Adam Himmelsbach, Porzingis’ representatives were up front with the Celtics once it became clear the 2018 All-Star was bound for Boston.

“The Celtics are not able to offer center Kristaps Porzingis a two-year, $77 million contract extension until July 6,” Himmelsbach wrote in a column published Sunday. “But when the three-team deal for Porzingis was being finalized last week, there was nothing stopping Porzingis’s camp from expressing its desire to be in Boston long term; according to a league source — and they did.”

It’s easy to understand why Porzingis is reportedly interested in playing with the Celtics for the long haul. If Boston signs Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum to supermax extensions across the next 12 months, the Celtics are poised to be a perennial NBA Finals contender for years to come.