It may look like the Celtics just traded Kristaps Porziņģis for an undrafted rookie, but make no mistake—it’s all part of a long game.
Boston sent Porziņģis to Atlanta in a three-team deal, receiving Georges Niang, cash, and a future second-round pick in return . They then flipped Niang—along with two future second-round picks—to the Utah Jazz for RJ Luis Jr., an undrafted rookie on a two-way contract .
So, on the surface, it looks like a swap of a seasoned All-Star for a complete unknown. But the real story is about payroll strategy. Porziņģis was owed over $30 million for 2025–26—a hefty sum that would push Boston above the NBA’s second luxury-tax apron, severely limiting their flexibility .
By offloading that contract—even for minimal immediate return—the Celtics gain crucial cap breathing room. As one Reddit fan put it:
> “2nd apron is effectively a hard cap… Now Boston is setting themselves up for future moves… so we can contend in 2026-27.”
With star forward Jayson Tatum likely sidelined recovering from a ruptured Achilles, Boston isn’t in win-right-now mode. They’re preserving flexibility. Saving millions in luxury-tax liability opens the door to mid-season trades, free-agent opportunities, and keeping their first-round pick intact .
RJ Luis Jr. may be unproven—he’s a standout from St. John’s who missed Summer League due to injury, but still managed to impress . However, the critical element here isn’t his upside as a prospect—it’s that turning Porziņģis into someone cost-controlled gives Boston options.
In short, it does look like trading a star for a rookie—but it’s smart roster engineering, not desperation. The Celtics cleared the deck, bought flexibility, and set themselves up to move quickly when Tatum returns.
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