The Atlanta Hawks’ new front office made their first big move. They traded Georges Niang, Terance Mann, pick 22 in tomorrow night’s draft, and a second-round pick for Kristaps Porziņģis and a second-round pick. Porziņģis who won a championship with the Boston Celtics in 2024, gives a big boost in the frontcourt on both ends. Whether he starts or comes off the bench, his rim protection and lethal outside shooting help the Hawks on both ends of the floor.
BREAKING: Boston, Atlanta and Brooklyn are finalizing a three-team trade that sends Kristaps Porzingis and a second-round pick to the Hawks, Terance Mann and Atlanta’s No. 22 pick to the Nets, and Georges Niang and a second-rounder to the Celtics. pic.twitter.com/1fcbIslyVF
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 24, 2025
Examining Kristaps Porziņģis’ Fit With The Hawks
Hawks Take a Calculated Risk in This Deal
When speaking about Porziņģis, injury history takes center stage. The 7-foot-2-inch big man played 42 games last season due to ankle surgery and a long-term illness. He has only reached the 65-game mark in his 10-year career. However, Atlanta did not “give up the farm” to acquire the star center. Across the league, teams knew the Celtics wanted to shed salary to move out of the second apron. Atlanta took advantage of Boston’s position and acted opportunistically.
The Hawks still own the 13th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. Furthermore, Niang and Mann were not key pieces for the future. The Hawks also free up money by getting off Mann’s three-year, $47 million contract. Porziņģis is owed $30.7 million in the 2025-26 season, but he enters free agency next summer. At 29 years old, as long as he can stay on the court, he can certainly give Atlanta similar production to his days in Boston. If the move does not pay off and Porziņģis walks, the Hawks are still in a position to compete.
What Role Does Porziņģis Play in Atlanta?
Porziņģis averaged 19.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, and shot 41.2% from deep on six attempts per game. His three-point shooting prowess certainly fits a Quin Snyder-led offense, which focuses on threes and shots at the rim. He and Trae Young now form a deadly duo in the pick-and-pop scenario. When defenses play too aggressively to stop Young’s drives, he can kick it out to one of the best shooting bigs in the league. His rim protection at his size gives Atlanta exactly what it needs next to, or behind, a small center in Onyeka Okongwu.
After acquiring a star center, one might think it is easy for head coach Snyder to insert Porziņģis as the starting five. However, this is not the case. Okongwu played the best basketball of his career, taking over the starting center position from Clint Capela on Jan. 20 this past season. This makes Porziņģis’ role less clear.
Snyder has a lot of options. Porziņģis’ elite shooting could allow him to start next to Okongwu and move Jalen Johnson to small forward. However, this means Zaccharie Riasacher, the 2024 first-overall pick, heads to the bench. If Porziņģis replaces Okongwu, the latter goes back to a reserve after putting up career-best numbers. There is also a scenario in which the Latvian big man comes off the bench as a super substitution because Atlanta views Okongwu as a long-term starter. This move could help limit the load on Porziņģis’ knees and keep him healthier for a postseason run.
Regardless of the role, Porziņģis addresses much-needed frontcourt depth and shooting in Atlanta. With more flexibility, such as traded player exceptions, cap space, and the 13th draft pick, this marks the start of an active offseason for the Hawks.
Featured image: © Eric Canha-Imagn Images
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