SI

Kristaps Porzingis Shared a Very Positive Message Prior to Celtics’ Blockbuster Trade

The former Celtics star gave an encouraging update on his health.

Kristen Wong

Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis (8) reacts during the second half against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis (8) reacts during the second half against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. / John Jones-Imagn Images
In this story:

The trades are flowing for the Boston Celtics this offseason as the team dealt two stars in the span of just a few days: Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers, and Kristaps Porzingis to the Atlanta Hawks in a blockbuster trade Tuesday evening.

Porzingis joined the Hawks in a three-team deal that sent forward Georges Niang and a second-round pick to the Celtics. It will be Porzingis's fifth NBA team in his career, with the trade transpiring one season after he helped Boston win a ring in 2023-24.

Prior to the move, Porzingis shared a positive health update on his Instagram Stories. The 29-year-old center was dealing with a viral lingering illness this past postseason, and struggled on the court as a result, ultimately getting benched by the end of the Celtics' series loss to the New York Knicks.

On Tuesday morning, hours before his trade went down, Porzingis thanked fans for their support throughout his recovery journey and gave a brief rundown of what he was excited for this summer.

"I've been feeling excellent all offseason and looking forward to a healthy and strong european championship tournament with my NT," Porzingis wrote.

Porzingis is set to participate in this summer's Eurobasket in August representing his country, Latvia.

His recent trade out of Boston might slightly change his outlook on his NBA title hopes next season, but at least he seems to be making good progress in his recovery and is rightfully fired-up to play with his national team overseas.

More NBA on Sports Illustrated

feed

Published
Kristen Wong
KRISTEN WONG

Kristen Wong is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. She has been a sports journalist since 2020. Before joining SI in November 2023, Wong covered four NFL teams as an associate editor with the FanSided NFL Network and worked as a staff writer for the brand’s flagship site. Outside of work, she has dreams of running her own sporty dive bar.

Home/NBA