Blockbuster trade on eve of NBA draft creates shake up in Eastern and Western conferences
A blockbuster three-team trade on the eve of the NBA draft sent shock waves through the Eastern and Western Conferences.
The Boston Celtics, Washington Wizards and Memphis Grizzlies agreed to a deal involving All-Star center Kristaps Porzingis, 2022 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart and several draft picks.
The Grizzlies, who expect to battle the Denver Nuggets, Sacramento Kings and other contenders for Western Conference supremacy next season, reportedly got involved after the Los Angeles Clippers backed out of the deal earlier Wednesday evening. That trade would have sent Malcolm Brogdon to Los Angeles, but the Clippers reportedly backed out due to injury concerns. The Celtics and Wizards continued to negotiate and brought in the Grizzlies to complete the trade.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Celtics acquired Porzingis, the 25th overall pick in Thursday’s draft and a 2024 first-round pick. The Wizards received Tyus Jones, Danilo Gallinari, Mike Muscala and the 35th pick in the draft. The Grizzlies acquired Smart, giving them a veteran player who can play point guard while Ja Morant serves a 25-game suspension for conduct detrimental to the league.
The Grizzlies finished second in the West this season, two games behind the top-seeded Denver Nuggets and three games ahead of the third-seeded Kings. They were ousted from the playoffs with a first-round series loss to the seventh-seeded Los Angeles Lakers.
The Celtics finished second in the East, one game behind the Milwaukee Bucks. They advanced to the Eastern Conference finals before losing a seven-game series to the Miami Heat.
This story was originally published June 21, 2023 at 9:51 PM.
