Former Cavaliers Forward Traded to Utah Jazz

A former member of the Cleveland Cavaliers saw himself on the move in a late summer trade on Tuesday afternoon for what's now his second time being involved in a deal across this NBA offseason.

According to a report from ESPN insider Shams Charania, the Boston Celtics have traded former Cavaliers forward Georges Niang and two future second-round picks to the Utah Jazz in exchange for rookie RJ Luis.

The Boston Celtics are trading Georges Niang and two future second-round picks to the Utah Jazz for rookie RJ Luis Jr., sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/l7h0cGobfU
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 5, 2025

It's yet another move for the Jazz throughout an offseason that's remained relatively active to this point, including prior trades to send out John Collins in his three-team involving the Los Angeles Clippers and Miami Heat, along with shipping Collin Sexton to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for Jusuf Nurkic.

This time, though, it's Utah bringing in the former Cavaliers forward to be one of the few lasting veterans on their roster for the 2025-26 season.

On the other side of things, the Celtics use the deal to find another layer of cap flexibility after their moves to shed the salaries of Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, and now even sit further away from the dreaded second apron.

Niang was signed on with the Cavaliers for a season and a half after inking a deal with Cleveland in 2023's free agency, and now finds his way back to a familiar home in Utah– a place where he spent four years of his career from 2017 to 2021, ultimately playing in over 200 games with the franchise.

Jan 27, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Georges Niang (20) drives to the basket against Detroit Pistons guard Marcus Sasser (25) during the second half at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Niang played 133 regular-season games in a Cavaliers uniform, while also being a part of Cleveland's 2024 playoff run, one that was ultimately ended by the Celtics in five games. Through his tenure with the Cavaliers, he averaged 9.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.2 assists while shooting 45.9% from the field and 38.5% from three-point range.

Niang would eventually find himself as a part of the three-team deal that sent DeAndre Hunter to the Cavaliers at the 2025 trade deadline, being stationed with the Atlanta Hawks for the second half of the 2025 campaign. In due time, he would be traded to the Celtics within the Kristaps Porzingis deal, and now gets re-routed once more to Utah.

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