After a failed attempt earlier in the day to trade Kristaps Porzingis to the Boston Celtics, the Washington Wizards finally got it done. This time, without the Los Angeles Clippers and their first-round pick.
The move was completed with only nine minutes to spare as the three teams involved only had until midnight eastern time to complete a deal before the entire dynamic of the trade.
Following the news that the trade fell through, Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the two teams were planning on trying to work out a deal. Porzingis is highly regarded as one of the best big men in the league and the Celtics knew they wanted him on their team. They still needed another team to get involved to make everything work on the monetary end.
Insert the Memphis Grizzlies. They will be sending veteran guard Tyus Jones to the Wizards. A move that came out of nowhere as the Wizards already have multiple rostered point guards and are likely to have another by the end of Thursday’s draft.
The Grizzlies received Marcus Smart in exchange for Jones and two draft picks, including No. 25 in Thursday’s draft. An absolute steal for a team looking to cover up the impending suspension of their star point guard.
The Washington Wizards also improved their package as they replaced Marcus Morris and the No. 30 pick with Tyus Jones, Mike Muscala, and the No. 35 pick.
Here are the full trade details:
Boston Celtics receive:
Kristaps Porzingis, pick No. 25, and 2024 first-round pick (via GSW)
Washington Wizards receive:
Tyus Jones, Danilo Gallinari, Mike Muscala, and pick No. 35
Memphis Grizzlies receive:
Marcus Smart
This trade brought back plenty more value for Kristaps Porzingis than the initial trade featuring the Clippers, making this a win for the Washington Wizards and NBA fans that stick around for the drama of the offseason.