The Boston Celtics have officially blown up the core that delivered a championship in 2024. Several key players remain, including Jaylen Brown, Payton Pritchard, Jayson Tatum, and Derrick White, but the likes of Jrue Holiday, Al Horford, and Kristaps Porzingis are all due to play elsewhere in 2025-26.
It hasn't taken long to understand the reasoning behind those departures, as the latest detail to emerge from the Porzingis trade has proven it was nothing more than a salary dump.
Boston traded Porzingis, 30, to the Atlanta Hawks in a June deal that brought back Georges Niang, cash considerations, and the Cleveland Cavaliers' 2031 second-round draft pick.