Utah Jazz Acquire Familiar Face in Trade With Celtics

In a late offseason trade, the Utah Jazz have landed a familiar face from the Boston Celtics.

According to ESPN insider Shams Charania, the Jazz have traded RJ Luis Jr. to the Celtics in exchange for Georges Niang and two future second round picks.

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

Per Charania, Niang's salary will go into the trade exception created by their move to send out John Collins in his previous three-team deal, while also providing an extra bit of second apron relief for the Celtics.

In exchange, the Jazz send over rookie Luis to the Celtics, their undrafted free agent pickup from St. John's, who sees his time end with Utah before he got a chance to step on the floor.

It's yet another move in the Jazz's flurry of offseason deals to this point, including prior trades to send out Collins to the Los Angeles Clippers, along with shipping Collin Sexton to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for Jusuf Nurkic. This time, though, it's Utah bringing in a former forward who has years of prior tenure within Salt Lake City.

Niang started his career with the Indiana Pacers as a second-round pick in 2016, where he would spend one year before heading to the Jazz in 2017, starting initially on a two-way deal before later being inked to a traditional contract, then staying in Utah for the next four years.

During his four years in Utah, Niang averaged 5.5 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 0.7 assists on 41.4% shooting from the field, and an efficient 41.1% shooting from deep as one of the Jazz's more effective sharpshooters during that stretch.

He would eventually wind up with the Philadelphia 76ers for the 2021 season after departing from Utah, but now, four seasons later, Niang finds his way back to the Jazz for a second stint.

Apr 11, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Georges Niang (20) reacts after scoring against the Philadelphia 76ers in the third quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

Niang spent last season with time split between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Atlanta Hawks, averaging a collective 9.9 points on 46.1% shooting from the field, paired with 3.4 rebounds, and 1.4 assists across his 79 games played in just over 21 minutes a night for those showings.

Niang was previously sent to the Celtics in their Kristaps Porzingis trade from Atlanta earlier this summer, but now finds himself rerouted to Utah and will likely be one of the team's more experienced names on the roster for next season.

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