Getty Kristaps Porzingis of the Washington Wizards
Before the Boston Celtics officially acquired Kristaps Porzingis from the Washington Wizards, NBA Insider Marc Stein revealed via his personal Twitter on June 21 that it was likely that Porzingis and the Celtics would agree to an extension once the trade was finalized.
“The three-team deal to send Kristaps Porzingis to Boston is likewise expected to lead to a July contract extension for Porzingis beyond next season’s $36 million player option, league sources say,” Stein wrote.
After the deal was finalized, Stein reiterated that an extension between the two sides was likely.
“In addition to the obvious chance to compete for a championship with the Celtics, there is a strong expectation already…that the Celtics will sign Porzingis to a two-year extension as soon as he becomes eligible for that deal in early July,” Stein wrote on his Substack.
Stein then gave the full details of the extension the Celtics may offer Porzingis.
“After opting into the final year of his current contract at $36 million before a midnight deadline Wednesday to do so, which was a needed step to facilitate this trade to the Celtics, Porziņģis qualifies for a two-year extension worth up to $77 million from his new team.”
Celtics May Not Be Able to Trade Malcolm Brogdon
The initial deal the Celtics had lined up for Porzingis was them trading Malcolm Brogdon to the Los Angeles Clippers in a three-way deal, as reported by The Athletic’s Shams Charania, but the Clippers backed out. Stein later reported that they didn’t go through with it because of Brogdon’s injury concerns.
“Concerns raised by the Clippers about Malcolm Brogdon’s injury status, league sources say, led to the collapse of the three-team trade expected to send Kristaps Porzingis to Boston before midnight tonight,” Stein wrote via his personal Twitter.
After the deal was made, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst explained on Get Up that Brogdon’s injuries are very much a cause for concern, period.
“Malcolm Brogdon, who was the key piece going from Boston to the Los Angeles Clippers in this [canceled] deal, Brogdon has a health issue, a health issue that, as I understand, is so significant, that not only can the Celtics not do this trade, there’s probably no Malcolm Brogdon trade that they can do in the short term.”
Brogdon will be paid $45 million over the next two seasons. With Smart gone, the Celtics may be forced to depend on Brogdon to pick up the slack, especially if it appears that he’s not going anywhere.
Payton Pritchard’s Role Expected to Get Bigger
Following the initial report that the Celtics were planning to trade Brogdon, Brian Robb of MassLive revealed what his departure could mean for Payton Pritchard’s future with the Celtics.
“Boston would likely retain Payton Pritchard in such a scenario as he would slot into a reserve guard position if Brogdon were dealt unless the Wizards insisted on his inclusion in a deal,” Robb wrote.
With Smart gone, the Celtics have four guards on the roster between Brogdon, Pritchard, Derrick White, and JD Davison. Pritchard has stepped up in the past when the Celtics traded away their guards. With Brogdon’s health concerns, they may very well depend on him now more than ever.
