Who Could Celtics Trade Next Following Georges Niang Deal?

Forward Georges Niang has been well-traveled this offseason.

The 6-foot-7 vet, 32, was first shipped off to the Boston Celtics — along with a future second-round draft pick — as compensation for former starting Boston center Kristaps Porzingis in a three-team deal with the Brooklyn Nets.

More news: What Does Celtics Rotation Look Like Following Chris Boucher Signing?

On Tuesday, it broke that Niang and a pair of future second rounders were being rerouted to the Utah Jazz in exchange for rookie two-way player Reggie Luis Jr., per a report from ESPN's Shams Charania.

Niang returns to Utah now and his salary goes into the massive John Collins trade exception along with two draft assets. The move allows the Celtics have more salary relief below the second apron. https://t.co/y09vRzWxGx
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 5, 2025

Boston quickly announced its decision to sign 6-foot-9 power forward/center Chris Boucher to a one-season, $3.3 million deal. Essentially, by moving off Niang to sign Boucher, the Celtics saved a cool $4.9 million.

Boucher departs Toronto where he has the all-time franchise record in points, rebounds, blocks, minutes and games played off the bench. He also was the Raptors' last remaining member of the 2019 NBA championship team. https://t.co/8LXTQy56VW
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 5, 2025

The Niang trade was Boston's third such exchange of the offseason. Beyond the Porzingis deal, the Celtics previously flipped former six-time All-Defensive Team guard Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers for combo guard Anfernee Simons.

The Simons addition, like all the others, wasn't about talent or on-court fit. It was about money. Simons is on an expiring $27.7 million deal, while Holiday is owed $104.4 million across the next three seasons, including $32.4 million in 2025-26.

More news: Celtics Make Trade, Send $25.5 Million Forward to West Squad

Boston wants to cut costs ahead of what it knows will be a lost season.

Per capologist Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron, the Celtics are now just $1.7 million above the league's first luxury tax apron. With Holiday and Porzingis in the fold, Boston had been above the NBA's far more punitive second luxury tax apron.

Ditching Niang helped Boston move off $50 million in luxury tax obligations, and carved out an $82. million trade exception.

The Boston Celtics reduce their payroll and luxury tax by a total of $50 million by trading Georges Niang.

They’re now just $1.7 million above the first apron and $9.4 million above the luxury tax line.

They also create a $8.2 million trade exception.
— Yossi Gozlan (@YossiGozlan) August 5, 2025

Boston has come too far to stop now. The Celtics seem liable to make at least one more move so that they may dip below the first apron.

Simons has felt like a strange on-court fit on a defense-first Boston squd, although at this stage the Celtics' depleted backcourt could just use bodies beyond two-time All-Defensive Team guard Derrick White and Sixth Man of the Year Payton Pritchard.

Offloading someone like reserve big man Xavier Tillman or floor-spacing bench wing Sam Hauser could get Boston below the apron (depending on the deal), but Hauser at least provides major off-ball value and might be worth keeping for Tatum's return.

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