Jazz Have Made Decision on Keeping Recently-Acquired Celtics Forward

Apr 2, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz CEO Danny Ainge looks on before the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

The Utah Jazz, led by ex-Boston Celtics champion player and team president Danny Ainge, have made a determination on the fate of a recently-obtained former Boston Celtics forward.

Georges Niang has been well-traveled this summer.

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The stretch four was shipped out to Boston as part of the Celtics' three-team deal with the Atlanta Hawks and Brooklyn Nets to ditch starting center Kristaps Porzingis, the latter of whom now seems likely to back up young Atlanta big Onyeka Okongwu. Niang and a future second-round Hawks draft pick were obtained by Boston.

Looking to save even more money, Celtics team president Brad Stevens (who previously was the club's head coach while Ainge ran the front office) offloaded Niang and a pair of second-rounders to the Jazz in exchange for rookie two-way swingman RJ Luis Jr.

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

Stevens' net haul for offloading Porzingis, then, winds up being Luis, and he now finds himself ultimately down single second-round pick as well.

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So what will become of Niang in Utah? The Jazz love accruing draft picks and seem to loathe present-day players or trying to win games.

According to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line, Utah actually plans to hold on to Niang.

Niang, 32, hails from Lawrence, Massachusetts, and was a self-professed Celtics fan while at Tilton School in Tilton, New Hampshire. The 6-foot-7 power forward was selected with the No. 50 pick deep into the second round of the 2016 NBA Draft. Across 79 healthy contests last season for the Hawks, Niang averaged 9.9 points on .461/.406/.793 shooting splits, 3.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists a night.

This story will be updated...

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