The Celtics, Clippers, And Wizards Trade Sending Kristaps Porzingis To Boston Falls Apart (UPDATE)

UPDATE: The trade, in three-team form, has fallen apart due to the Clippers concerns over Malcolm Brogdon’s elbow injury. The Wizards and Celtics are now still discussing a deal to get Kristaps Porzingis to Boston, but without L.A. involved which complicates the draft compensation going to Washington considerably.

Original Story: Earlier in the day on Wednesday, a report from Shams Charania of The Athletic indicated that the Boston Celtics were trying to figure out a way to get Kristaps Porzingis from the Washington Wizards via him opting into the final year of his contract. Not long after that report hit the internet, Charania brought word that a trade was close to being completed, one which involved a third team getting pulled into the mix.

According to Charania, the Celtics and Wizards were in discussions with the Los Angeles Clippers about a deal that would center around Porzingis opting in and going to Boston, while Malcolm Brogdon would go to L.A. and Marcus Morris Sr. would head to Washington — along with Danilo Gallinari to make the financials work.

Not long after, Charania and Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe reported that the deal was in the final stages of getting done, with those three players involved and draft compensation heading to D.C., including the 30th overall pick from the Clippers. Adrian Wojnarowski added that Amir Coffey was also headed to the Wizards.

https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1671619514021052417

Porzingis has one year left on his contract that will pay him approximately $36 million before he’s able to hit unrestricted free agency next summer. While the Wizards would need to figure out how Morris fits into their plans after the Bradley Beal trade, he could presumably be either a veteran who helps the franchise’s next era or gets moved to a team that wants to compete right now. Brogdon joined Boston last year from the Indiana Pacers, and while he became the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year, reports indicated that the team was looking to take players from its bloated guard rotation and bolster the roster elsewhere.